Fallen Angel
by Crimson Flame-Blue Rose
Summary: Two years have passed since the unspeakable events that had occurred on The Queen Zenobia, but the nightmare is far from over. a new terrorist group has formed in the heart of London, a string of murders are committed across the globe, who is doing this-and why? two paths cross, one man seeks the truth while the other seeks vengeance. ParkerxRaymond
1. Prologue

The sun shined brilliantly, gracing everything it touched with an orange hue.

Few people walked outside during this time of day, understandably, Paris was a city of

romance, fashion and beauty. The world never stopped moving, neither did its people.

Jessica continued to sip on her glass of iced tea, flipping her chocolate colored hair past her

shoulder as she alternated from reading her book to watching the scenery outside her window.

It was a beautiful day, she regretted having stayed inside all afternoon, but she knew that there

would be many more days like this that she could embrace.

'_I should really go for a walk, maybe buy a new dress? No…'_ Jessica had nearly everything a

woman could ask for, money, beauty, a studio apartment in France…but she was missing

something. She had all the materialistic desires a woman could ever ask for, except what

mattered the most. _'Chris…'_

She couldn't believe that she still missed that dense, workaholic bull of a man.

But he was unlike any man she had ever laid eyes on, pure at heart.

Lovers from her past only cared about one thing. And the truly genuine ones that she did manage

to catch she never stayed with for too long.

Thinking back on her former partner also brought back memories of a certain Italian…

Parker Luciani.

Jessica wondered how he was doing, considering that she shot him in the leg.

Parker was something else, kind, loyal, dedicated….everything she was not.

No, she was vain, greedy even, and would throw anyone under the bus if it meant saving herself.

She envied that Jill Valentine for being the ideal woman, the perfect agent.

Why did Jill get to have Chris all to herself? She didn't even see the way he looked at her, talked

to her, fawned over her…She was so blind, so incredibly ignorant.

Jessica hated that woman, so much…

The brunette now felt some strange feeling inside, she felt empty, shell-like.

She had everything yet nothing, and it would be an endless effort to obtain the unattainable…

A dog's barking suddenly broke her from her thoughts, causing her to jump.

Snapping her head to look outside her window, she saw a shaggy dog run towards its owner.

'_Damn mutt..'_ Jessica furrowed her brows in agitation.

It only brought back memories of Valkoinen Mokki, the wolves that never stopped hunting…

She remembered those hell hounds all too well, the red eyes, the unnaturally sharp teeth, their

ribs protruding from their torsos-It was something that not even Bram Stoker could've created.

It was freezing those three hours she and Chris had trekked in Finland, she shivered at the

memory. Thinking back on it, she now realized that it probably was a mistake to wear high

heeled boots on their mission. But it was an effort to catch Chris' eye. _Everything _she did was for

him. She smiled sadly at the memory, knowing that she pined for Chris in futility.

'Jill is one lucky lady, she better wake up one day and see you for what you are…'

Jessica sipped on her tea once more, breathing a sigh as her thirst was quenched.

'Has it really been two years since then…?'

A knock on her door piqued her interest, setting her glass down before standing.

'_Strange, I don't know anyone in the neighborhood, except for that sad excuse of an old man..' _

Maybe it was a secret admirer?

"Hang on, I'm coming!" Jessica fluffed her hair a bit, fixing the sash on her lavender dress.

Upon opening the door revealed a familiar face, her smile faltered a bit.

"Oh, it's you. Come on in, I have nothing better to do…" she sighed in boredom.

"I'm surprised you're here, after all that's happened. You want something to drink? No? Hmph,

you're easy." Jessica poured herself a fresh glass of tea before sitting down on the couch, the

visitor standing in front of her stiffly.

"Sit down, why don't you? Looking at you stand like that is…freaking me out. We're in Paris,

for God's sake, Relax." Jessica laughed, taking a sip of her drink.

The man in front of her brought out a handgun and pointed at her, aiming for a headshot.

"H-hey, come on!" the brunette held her hands up, dropping the glass.

"This is a joke, right? I thought we were past this." Jessica smiled nervously.

The gun cocked with a sharp click, making her heart beat faster and causing her to sweat.

Time seemed to stand still, the only movement she felt was her increasing heart rate.

The gun had a silencer. it would be a quick and soundless kill…

The man had come prepared, murder was the one thought on his mind, this she knew.

What she didn't know was the strong, unbridled intent he possessed.

"You don't have to do this, I know you…I know that-"

"Shut up!"

Jessica's breath hitched and she cowered under his intense gaze.

Those eyes, those eyes that she saw every day and came to know so well had now changed…

Why was he doing this? Why did he come after her?

What changed him…?

The gun was gripped tighter in the hand that wrapped around its black body.

'I can't die, I can't! I'm not ready…there's still so much I-'

A scream erupted throughout the apartment, only to be silenced.

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Ohh poor Jessica…

Ah who am I kidding, I _never _liked her.

This is the surprise I was telling you all about-I'm writing a series!

I don't know if Revelations will ever get a sequel, which would be a real shame, so I decided to

write this series as my own spin on what a sequel might be like-with my own twists.

I'd like to write this as more of a crime/drama/romance type story, but it might come off as

cheesy or cliché-I guess we'll just have to see where it goes.

This is only the prologue, and it's not giving away very much, sorry!

I didn't want to explain who this 'visitor' is and what dialogue they shared, not yet.

I'll see if I can't try to write the first chapter tonight and post it up, we'll see~

Lin


	2. Shadows Of The Past

The sky was overshadowed with gray clouds, eclipsing the promising weather.

But then again, he had a cloud hanging over his head, it was befitting.

Parker kept his hands in the pockets of his black slacks, walking along the sidewalk.

The Italian was on his way to work, relishing the sounds his shoes made on the brick-

lined streets-somehow finding it soothing, considering that his nerves were all but shot.

He didn't bother to drive to the London branch of the BSAA anymore, finding that his

mind was far too occupied to focus on the roads.

He hadn't had a good nights sleep in nearly a year, but it hadn't affected his work so he

felt there was no need to worry too terribly. But his new boss had been keeping a

watchful eye on him, telling him to take it easy every now and again.

'_Heh, easier said than done.'_ Parker chuckled.

Looking at his watch he realized that he would be arriving to work an hour early, making

him frown and mentally kick himself for rolling out of bed and missing breakfast.

"Well, I might as well grab something to eat before heading in…" he mused aloud.

He walked inside a small café and ordered a breakfast plate and a cup of coffee.

Parker smiled and thanked the waitress before cutting up his eggs, making a disgusted

face and deciding to eat the sausage instead when the yolk burst and oozed.

The eggs reminded him of those creatures…

Once he finished eating the sausage links he realized that the toast was soggy from the

burst eggs, making his stomach churn ever so slightly. "Ah..Miss?" Parker raised a finger

politely to ask for the waitress. "Everything alright, sir?" she smiled politely, looking at

his half-finished plate. "Oh yes, the food is delicious, I was wondering if I could have a

sandwich?" "Oh, of course, I'll be right back." She nodded and walked down the aisle.

Parker sighed as he pushed the tainted plate away, relieved it was out of his line of vision.

'What's wrong with me? It's just some soggy bread and runny eggs…' he rubbed his

face. "Here you are, sorry to keep you waiting." The waitress smiled as she carefully set

the plate down in front of Parker. "No trouble at all, thank you." The Italian smiled,

making the young girl blush. "Will you be needing anything else?" the blonde slipped her

hands into her black apron, unsure if she should get her notepad out. "No, I'm good now,

thank you." Parker nodded. "Alright then, call me if you need anything." She winked and

walked away, her ponytail swaying from the motion.

'_What a sweet girl…'_ Parker smiled before taking a bite out of his sandwich, purring as

he tasted the succulent flavor of the ham, the smoothness of the cream cheese and the

refreshing tomatoes. _'I really must come here more often.' _He smiled inwardly.

'_I wonder if Raymond would've enjoyed this too…'_ Parker paused in his eating and felt a

small pain in his chest, finishing the bite before sipping his coffee.

Hardly a day passed that he didn't think about the young redhead, now cursing himself

for ruining his pleasant meal.

It's been two years since he saw the former cadet…

After the events on The Queen Zenobia the FBC had disbanded since they no longer had

a leader. Parker had to force himself to not let himself get worked up when he

remembered Commissioner Lansdale, choosing to instead focus on Raymond.

The Italian wondered what Raymond had been up to for the last few years, running his

hand through his hair to relieve the tension. It certainly hadn't been an easy break from

the other man, waking up in bed alone and realizing that Raymond had left him.

There was a note, he did commend him for the notice, but it gave way to so many

questions-questions that may never be answered.

The bitter side of Parker wondered if the redhead had left because they were finally

'even' now that Raymond had saved him during the chaos on that ship, no longer feeling

the need to occupy Parker's presence. That theory was the one that hurt the most.

What had he meant by that note though?

I might do things that I'm not proud of, but it's for the greater good…

He wondered just what those 'things' could possibly be, wondering if Raymond had an

agenda all along. Raymond? Raymond Vester and an agenda that wasn't entirely pure?

The other man was still so young, seemingly too naïve to seek a higher purpose.

But then again, he was the one who helped O'Brian orchestrate the 'revival' of Veltro…

Parker chugged his coffee, mistaking it for a beer. He really wanted a drink…

But he had vowed that he would take it easy on the alcohol after achieving

sobriety after the Terragrigia Panic and moving on to the BSAA.

He must admit that he does still have feelings for the brash man, finding his once

troublesome qualities endearing. Raymond was stubborn, quick-tempered, impatient,

proud, and would often question and undermine authority. Many times in the past Parker

had wanted to go and smack him upside the head, but due to the no-contact rule in the

FBC, he had to settle for verbally reprimanding the cadet.

However, he did have good qualities too…

He was loyal, determined, focused, hard working, and he had a strong desire to help those

in need-which was a quality that every agent needed to thrive in such an organization.

The Italian actually missed Raymond's sass, preferring it over his lonesome existence.

'Where did you go Raymond…?'

His cell phone rang, interrupting his thoughts, thankfully.

"Luciani here." He stated professionally.

"Enjoying yourself, Parker? How's the food?" A man's voice chuckled on the other end.

"Ah, Moore, how did you know-?" Parker smiled at the sound of his friend's voice.

"I heard the clinking of forks on plates in the background, of course."

"Your sense of hearing still amazes me, sir. What can I do for you?" Parker grabbed a

napkin to wipe off his hand.

"There has been a change in plans. We need you to come to Rourke."

"The beach? Why?" Parker paused a moment as he listened more closely.

"There was a fire at the abandoned fishery here, it was a police matter until witnesses

found a couple of suspicious corpses of the BOW variety." Moore continued.

Parker clenched his hand around the napkin, his knuckles turning white.

"..And why would you need me to investigate this, sir?" Parker asked cautiously.

"Because you've dealt with fish-oriented carcasses in the past, I felt that you were best

suited for the job-am I wrong?" Moore's voice was filled with concern.

"N-no, sir, it's not a problem…" Parker held back an exasperated sigh.

"Alright, if you're sure-hey!" Moore was suddenly cut off, replaced with a woman's

voice. "Hey! Parker you greedy bastard, are you at the café again?" Parker laughed at his

fellow agent's antics. "Sylvia, why did you take Brandon's phone?"

"I was checking on something when I heard him say that you were eating, while we're

here investigating-and we're not going to be making fish and chips with these damn

things." Parker could imagine that infamous look on her face, pouty lips and a

lowered eyebrow. "How can I make it up to you, Sylvia?" Parker smiled.

"Bring cinnamon rolls." Sylvia answered, causing Parker to laugh.

"I can't believe that you would eat cinnamon rolls at an investigation site, with all those

bodies and all. You have a stronger stomach than I do…" Parker sighed before signaling

the waitress to give him the bill, and order a side of cinnamon rolls.

"Can I have my phone back now, Caldwell?" Parker could hear Director Moore's voice

in the background, hearing faint voices talking away from the speaker.

"Just get your ass over here, and don't forget the rolls!" Sylvia chuckled.

"Alright, I'll bring them. I always keep my word, don't I?" Parker laughed.

"Yeah, yeah you do, I'll give you that."

"Sylvia…" Brandon warned, undoubtedly annoyed with her.

"I'll be there soon, bye." Parker hung up, putting the phone back in his pocket.

"Something else you want, sir?" the waitress smiled as she clasped her hands.

"No, I'll just have the check. Oh! And I'll have some cinnamon rolls to go." Parker

smiled bashfully as he had almost forgotten his friend's request.

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"About time you got here." Parker scoffed at Sylvia's remark, handing her the box of

cinnamon rolls. "Am I forgiven now?" Parker grinned. Sylvia opened the cardboard box

and instantly smiled when she saw the six beautiful cinnamon rolls, shaped like

croissants. "I'll let you off this time…" Sylvia winked before biting into one.

"So, who else is here?" Parker placed his hands on his hips as he looked over the knee

high stone wall of the parking lot, scanning the coastline for fellow BSAA agents.

"Us, Brandon and Thomas." Sylvia swallowed before answering, wiping her mouth.

"That's it?" Parker raised an eyebrow as he turned back to look at her.

"Well, there are some more of our boys that are trying to hold back the press." She rolled

her head in the direction of the mob of cameras and reporters, questioning BSAA agents.

"Ah, I see Thomas is taking care of it himself-I wonder if he'll come away with a

migraine after this?" Parker chuckled as he watched the other man stand in the way of the

press from going down the slope that led to the investigation site.

"If he does, it won't be a problem, considering that he practically has a pharmacy in his

desk drawer." Sylvia grinned, taking another bite of the roll.

"Say, aren't you a little over dressed for an investigation?" Sylvia suddenly asked as she

looked at Parker's clothes. Parker glanced at his outfit himself, not surprised to see that

he still wears a white button up shirt along with the black slacks, topped with ankle boots.

"Heh, I guess I wasn't paying attention when I got out of bed this morning." Parker

rubbed the back of his head sheepishly before taking in Sylvia's appearance.

Sylvia had long brown hair tied in a braid, she forbade anyone from touching it. She also

wore a black top with a brown leather jacket, completing the outfit with blue jeans and

hiking boots. "You seem to fit the bill, as always." Parker smiled.

"Pfft, just get down there." Sylvia leaned back on Parker's black Land Rover.

"What, you're not coming?" Parker raised an eyebrow.

"I've been staring at what remains of a fish market and have had Brandon talking my ear

off about borrowing his phone."

"You stole it." Parker said flatly with a smirk. "Details…look, let me just finish eating

and I'll join you." Parker sighed as he realized that she wouldn't budge, she never did

when her mind was set on something. "Alright, I'll see you down there."

Parker walked towards the mixture of reporters and the BSAA agents that held them

back. "Thomas, how are you holding up?" the Italian smiled.

"Oh, Parker, you're here." Thomas smiled as his friend approached.

"Yeah, Moore asked me to come personally…" he rubbed his chin.

"You have experience for this kind of situation, right?" the brunette took out a cigarette

and lit it, being granted a break from keeping the press at bay.

"Yeah, you could say that…Hey, are you alright?" Parker took notice of the cigarette,

knowing that Thomas would only ever smoke if he was stressed.

"Yeah, just need a breather, those damn cameras are persistent as hell. Besides, Sylvia

isn't here to complain about the smoke so I'm going for it." He smiled in victory.

"Hpmh, a little pig and a chain smoker, what a lovely pair you two would make."

"I heard that!" Sylvia piped up as she came jogging over to join them.

"I was only joking!" Parker held up his hands defensively as Sylvia clapped him on the

shoulder for the comment. "Sure you were…" she scoffed, a smile forming on her lips.

"Dammit, I can never stay angry with you for long." She sighed as she shook her head.

"Ohh is it because of my charm?" Parker winked, earning a playful shove.

"Can it, Parker, we've got work to do." Sylvia started down the slope, passively shoving

a BSAA rookie for trying to stop her-mistaking her for a civilian.

"She wouldn't have a problem getting into the sites if she wore the uniform." Thomas

blew out a puff of smoke as he watched her. "She doesn't have a problem to begin with,

she's not afraid to push the rookies around." Parker chuckled.

'_I wish she could've put some sense into Raymond, I would've loved to have seen that.'_

"You sure you want to be working alone? You can always sign up for a partner…"

Thomas inhaled the nicotine before turning his head and releasing the breath he held.

"I can't, Tom, you know that." Parker glanced at the ground briefly.

"…because of back then?" Thomas looked at his friend sadly.

"Yeah, exactly." Parker nodded before forcing a smile.

The Italian was unable to fully give his trust to anyone, not since what happened on

The Queen Zenobia two years ago. Ever since Jessica betrayed him and left him and

Raymond for dead. _'That bitch…' _Parker frowned at the thought.

"You alright, Parker?" Thomas placed a hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

"Hm? Oh, yeah, yeah I'm fine…just didn't sleep all that great last night."

Well, it wasn't entirely a lie…

"Hey, Ox, get down here!" Sylvia called up from the bottom of the slope.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Parker chuckled as he jogged down to meet her.

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"Ah, Parker, you look good..now all you need is a black horse to complete the Fabio

look." Moore chuckled at Parker's choice of clothing. "Moore, you're as chipper as

ever." Parker chuckled at his boss's playful jab at him. "So, you said corpses have been

spotted?" Parker suddenly felt a strong wave of déjà vu strike him, blurring the past with

the present. "Yeah, most of them are human-which have yet to be examined by the

coroner, but there are a couple that seem off." Moore turned on his heel and led the way

to a row of corpses that were covered by white sheets. "These were the human bodies we

found, they're completely charred from the fire." Moore looked on at them sadly.

Parker took note that there were five bodies lying on the sand, the sheets were stained

with red and black-obviously blood and burned flesh. "Take a look over here." Moore

walked over to what remained of the factory.

The building was about the size of two houses, metal sheeting stained from the black

soot. Parker could see that parts of the building had white paint, just barely.

"Put these on, we don't know if the infection is still in effect. Can't have you breathing in

the ashes, either." Moore handed Sylvia and Parker two white masks that covered their

noses and mouths, also giving them fabric gloves to protect their hands.

"Watch your step, this building hasn't been checked by the fire department yet."

Moore ducked under a warped doorway, waiting for Parker and Sylvia to catch up.

The frame on the door creaked when Parker's back brushed up against it when he stood

on his feet, charred wood crunching under his shoes. The smell of burned wood still hung

in the air, it wasn't an unpleasant smell but his eyes burned from the irritation.

The shell that was left of the fishery felt eerie and ominous, Parker repressed a shiver.

There were remains of plastic bins, probably to hold all the fish that was caught.

There were some oil drums, partially corroded after the fire had started.

Wooden crates were stacked high up on either side of the room, most of them burned.

"You sure you couldn't have at least let the fire department evaluate the safety of this

place? It looks like it could cave any minute." Sylvia patted the soot off from her hands.

"We couldn't risk any of the public seeing this, not until all the evidence has been

collected and carted off to HQ." Moore slipped his hands into the pockets of his black

trench coat. "Where should we start?" Parker's voice was muffled by the mask.

"Examine the corpses first, then we'll search for evidence." Moore motioned towards a

hallway before continuing on, Parker and Sylvia following close behind.

"This is what we found." Moore paused in front of the doorway.

On the floor were four human bodies, parts of them had mutated beyond recognition.

Parker moved in a little closer to examine one corpse, seeing that it was a man.

The body was burned to a dark brown, most if not all distinguishing features had blurred

together in a mess of charred flesh. But what looked to be an arm seemed to have turned

into a bubbled mass, most of it having popped. "This arm has mutated…" Parker trailed

off as he moved on to another corpse. This corpse was only what remained of a pair of

legs, the top half of the body was gone. "These are legs but…where's the rest of it?"

Parker cocked his head to the side. "Did it…explode? Or does it look bitten off?" Sylvia

wearily stepped closer to Parker to examine it. "There's still a spine, so it must have

imploded." Sylvia cringed at the thought. "I've seen creatures like this before, they swell

up like a balloon before exploding-really messy." Parker stood up from his haunches.

The other two corpses couldn't be identified, not even the mutations.

"Have you checked this door yet?" Sylvia pointed at a metal door off to the side.

"No…we didn't open any doors yet." Moore stepped forward.

Sylvia carefully tested the doorknob before grabbing it, feeling the heat under her glove

as she turned it. She yelped when a corpse toppled out and landed on the floor.

She took out her handgun and aimed carefully, hoping that it wouldn't rise.

"This one looks fresh…" Parker bent down and looked closely at the body.

It had gray skin and parts of its clothing were torn to shreds, a slick membrane

completely covered its face-sharp teeth had protruded from what looked to be a mouth.

"I guess this one was infected, ran to hide in the closet and mutated…" Parker stood up

and walked around it to examine the closet it had fallen from. "Is it dead?" Sylvia

tightened her grip on the gun. "Double tap for good luck." Thomas' voice called out as he

stepped into the room, wearing gloves and a mask. "Thomas.." Moore started.

"You've been in here for quite awhile, I was getting worried." Thomas replied to his

boss. A snarl erupted from the creature as it suddenly lurched up, reaching a gray hand

towards Sylvia's leg. A couple of shots rang out, piercing the mutant's skull.

"Thanks, Parker." Sylvia sighed in relief. "I guess it wasn't entirely dead." Moore

furrowed his eyebrows. "But I thought the fire would've destroyed them all." Thomas

looked up at the Director. "This door is made of metal, it delayed the fire from getting to

the body-so it survived, for a little while." Parker put his handgun back into his holster

before walking into the closet. "Find anything?" Sylvia crossed her arms.

"Some coats, and a couple of boxes.." Parker checked the pockets for anything that

would identify the bodies in the fire. "There are only three coats in here, and only two

have ID." "Who were they?" Thomas placed a comforting hand on Sylvia's shoulder.

"One of them was named Richard Clayton, another was Brad Locke-they don't say where

they work, but they do have addresses." Parker turned the cards over in his hands. "We'll

check up their addresses later, put them in here." Moore took out a plastic bag, signaling

Parker to drop them in for evidence.

Parker then opened up the cardboard boxes, most of them containing batteries or other

random junk. But in one box, there were some vials.

The vials themselves were clear glass and topped with steel caps, the liquid was a deep

red inside. Parker never did see the T-Abyss virus, unlike Jill and Chris, but the vials just

gave him a bad feeling. To be honest, he wasn't sure if it was a deadly virus or some kind

of drug that he wasn't familiar with.

Parker slowly backed away from the box and closed the door. "We're going to need a

hazmat team in here, I think I just found some samples of a virus in there."

"T-there's a virus in there?" Sylvia's eyes widened in shock. "That would explain why

there haven't been any other reports of mutation…at least not yet." Moore lowered his

gaze as he thought aloud. "You didn't touch it, did you?" Thomas looked down at

Parker's hands. "No, I only touched the brim of the box, nothing else." Parker reassured

them. "It should be alright then, but if you start feeling any different I want you to report

to the medical unit ASAP-that goes for all of you." Moore glanced around the room at his

agents. "Got it, boss." Thomas nodded.

"Two ID cards and a box of…vials." Sylvia thought aloud as she went over the evidence

they managed to scavenge. "I'd hate to be a downer, but I don't think we're going to find

very much else in this place, it all but burned to the ground." Thomas sighed sadly.

"I'd say you're probably right, but we still need to try." Moore replied.

"Alright, let's split up and check all the rooms, we'll meet back at the entrance later-if

you find anything, speak up." Moore gave the orders before picking a doorway and

passed through. "Sylvia, I'll stay with you if you want." Thomas patted his partner on the

shoulder. "Thanks, Tom." Sylvia smiled, although hidden behind the facemask.

Sylvia and Thomas walked off in another direction together, leaving Parker to search

alone. Now that he was alone, so many sounds were amplified since his fellow agents

weren't nearby to work as a distraction. The Italian could hear the sound of cracking in

every which direction, it put him on edge.

He would need to take care and not overreact to every little sound…

Parker's paranoia was only further increased whenever he looked at the charred creatures

on the floor, wishing he could just finish up and leave as quickly as possible.

But he knew that he had to be thorough, sighing at the thought.

He started to think back to the events of The Queen Zenobia…

He quickly shook his head of the thoughts, not wanting to remember them, never again.

'_Buck up, Luciani, you have a mission.'_

Parker walked past the corpses, walking quietly in fear that they would 'wake up'.

He didn't need to look very hard after all, seeing that most of the rooms were all burned

and charred, everything was destroyed.

A few things would look out of place, but he wasn't sure if it was because of a struggle or

if it was caused by an explosion. It was disheartening the more rooms he found in

disarray, knowing that it was more evidence lost.

"Hey, have you found anything?" Sylvia approached Parker, Thomas close behind.

"No, I've looked everywhere, everything is gone." Parker sighed in frustration.

"At least we have the two ID cards, we can search where they were staying. And we still

have those vials you found, we can have our specialist examine them." Sylvia placed a

hand on Parker's shoulder, concern filled her blue eyes. Parker patted her hand in

reassurance, knowing that she was really worried about him-he was involved with these

types of monsters in the past, after all.

"Maybe there's something in the bodies we've found? The coroner still needs to examine

them." Thomas spoke up, Parker hummed in agreement as he gave a nod.

"Anything?" Moore's feet crunched along the ground as he walked over.

"No, all we have is what we've found." Parker answered.

"…Any idea how this fire got started in the first place?" Sylvia looked to Moore.

"Eyewitnesses say that they saw the building engulfed in flames, but there was no

explosion. Also, we've found a trail of accelerant that leads away from here, which makes me think

that someone set fire to this place." Moore reported.

"Since we found those vials, I think this may have been a base of operations for a group

of terrorists." Parker frowned. "Do you think a member set fire to their own base?" Sylvia

glanced at Parker. "Maybe, if the place was overrun with monsters they may have wanted

to destroy the evidence of their involvement." Thomas glanced at the creatures in the

other room. "That makes sense, but now we need to find out who it is." Parker nodded.

"We'll need to check the suspect's homes, and we'll need to interview their families."

Moore chimed in. "Any other eyewitnesses we need to talk to?" Sylvia jumped slightly

when her foot broke a chunk of charred wood. "..No, everyone who did see what

happened only saw the building already up in flames, no one claims to have seen how it

happened." Moore frowned thoughtfully. A loud crack startled the group.

"Best that we clear out of here, I don't know how long this will stay standing." Moore

made his way to the exit, pulling off his gloves and mask once outside.

The other three agents quickly made their way outside, breathing sighs of relief when

they could breathe in fresh air again. "Thank god we don't have to stay in there any

longer…" Sylvia wiped her forehead with her sleeve.

Parker saw the mutated bodies being carted out of the building, making his stomach

churn. "Alright you three, it's been a long day, we should call it quits for now and

continue with the investigation tomorrow-get some rest." Moore emphasized when he

looked Parker in the eye, causing the Italian to grin lopsidedly.

"Have a good one, B." Sylvia smiled tiredly at her boss. Moore smiled and walked away

with a wave of his hand, wiping his brow. "I guess it's hard on him too.." Thomas

murmured. "It's not easy for anyone." Sylvia looked up at her partner.

"You alright, Syl?" Parker glanced worriedly at his friend. "Yeah, I'm fine, you?" Sylvia

gave a sweet smile in reassurance. "Yeah, fine. It'll be nice to go home and rest for

awhile.." Parker stretched his arms above his head as he yawned, scratching his neck

before walking off towards the parking lot. "Good night, you two." Parker called.

Not that there was really anything 'nice' to go home to…

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

The first chapter is finally posted, and it's fifteen pages long-oof!

Well, I hope that it's a good start to the series, at least it adds more to the mystery…

I know that I didn't describe how Moore or Thomas look, I'll definitely start working on

them probably in the next chapter-when Parker works more closely with them.

I'm hoping that Moore isn't too much like O'Brian, I want them to be different.

It was fun to write this chapter because I actually looked up the different types of food

that people in Britain sometimes eat, but now I'm feeling kinda hungry.

I'm not sure when I'll post the second chapter up, I spent hours just writing this one and

the prologue-so I'll take some time off and rest up!

Ah, just so you all know, this story is also a sequel to my past story "Façade" which was

a summary of the events of Revelations-from Parker's POV.

So, quite a bit of the stuff that's mentioned in this story about Parker and Raymond are

going to be influenced by that story.

I hope you're all enjoying the series so far, let me know what you think of it!

Lin


	3. Target

Parker continued to run down the stretching hallway, Jessica struggling to stay by his

side. He couldn't hear the sound of his breathing over the unsettling thumping of

footsteps that had been hunting him and his partner, a constant reminder of being prey to

an unnatural being. "Parker, we can't…keep…going on like this!" Jessica panted as she

ran beside the Italian, narrowly missing a potted plant that threatened to trip her.

"Don't give up now, Jessica, we can make it!" Parker frowned as he turned around

sharply to take one of the Hunters down, eyes widening when two more took its place to

follow the two agents. "Shit, they're not stopping!" Parker growled as he turned back

around to continue running, placing a hand on Jessica's back to encourage her to keep

moving. His body hurt, he couldn't remember a time when his body screamed at him to

stop. Not even his training could compare. Parker saw what was a god send to him, a

door. Parker grit his teeth and pushed himself to run faster, hoping that he wouldn't slip

and fall. "There, head for that door Jessica!" Parker shouted to the brunette, reaching out

his hand desperately. Parker almost slammed into the steel door, clamping his hand

around the knob and turning it. Jessica flew past him as she practically threw herself into

the room, landing on the concrete. Parker slammed the door shut and jumped when one

of those creatures had mistakenly smacked against the other side, screeching at the loss of

its next meal. Parker kept his hand on the door, resting his weight against it and hoping

that it would be enough to keep the door shut.

'_How could this happen…? Why?' _

As he closed his eyes, everything faded to black.

Parker gripped the handgun tightly, licking his lips of perspiration.

He had been separated from Jessica, upon her request, and now stood in the elevator.

For some reason, the elevator seemed to calm him-maybe it was the color scheme of the

carpet at his feet or perhaps the lamps that hung on the walls?

All his eyes could focus on was the giant compass that had adorned the double doors in

front of him, watching as the ship's wheel spun.

'I wish Veltro had something of a moral compass before all hell broke loose…'

He stood at attention once he heard the familiar clicking of the doors reaching its

destination, swinging open to release him. He remained on high alert in case more of

those monstrosities came for him, opening another door to the storage area that led to the

café on the opposite side. "You know what you have to do…" he heard O'Brian's voice

echo in his mind. Parker's heart sunk at the thought that Jessica might actually be

Morgan's spy, if what Raymond said was true.

Upon hearing a familiar screech, Parker froze and his heart stopped.

'No, not them again…'

Once he heard the familiar thumping of their feet, a Hunter appeared from behind the

doorway across from him. The Hunter seemed to purr at the sight of the man, slowly

lurking towards the Italian and breaking into a run when Parker opened fire.

"Get back you bastard!" he growled at the amphibian, watching as it collapsed onto the

floor. _'I don't have time for this, I have to meet up with Jessica!'_ Parker grunted as he

landed on the floor below the balcony, jogging through an adjoining storage room and

into the café. He ignored the screeches of the other Hunters and pressed on, shooting only

those that stood in his way. His hand reached forward and pushed open the double doors

that led to the elevator, taken aback when instead he found himself standing on the

bridge. _'How did I get here so fast..?'_

"I'm sorry Parker…"

He shouted as he felt a sharp pain enter his thigh, collapsing onto the floor. He bit his lip

as the searing pain spread along his leg, his fingers clamped around the wound.

"Parker!"

'_Raymond….'_

Parker groaned as he grabbed onto his leg, feeling the skin underneath his fingers.

He opened his eyes and froze when he realized that he wasn't on the bridge anymore.

'_I'm home…'_ Parker sighed in relief as he rubbed the feeling back into his thigh, the

memories from his dream still fresh in his mind. Throwing the covers off he inspected the

faint scar that imprinted his skin, an eternal reminder of the betrayal of a partner.

He smoothed his fingertips along the small ringed scar on his leg, relieved that the

phantom pain had ceased. The Italian then realized that he felt cold, quickly bringing the

covers back and nuzzling the pillow. His shirt and shorts were hot and damp from sweat,

grimacing as he felt the little droplets roll along his chest and neck.

He wished he didn't have to have these dreams anymore, it had been two years since the

incident on The Queen Zenobia, three years since Terragrigia.

Parker turned his head to look behind him, saddened when he was still alone in bed.

He brought his knees in closer, reveling in the familiar comfort the position brought.

The moonlight that came in from the window was calming, causing the man to sigh.

The moon was full, casting everything in its wake with a faint blue glow.

He honestly didn't understand why, but he felt as though nothing could harm him as he

stared at the sphere outside.

With time the fear and pain he felt after waking from a nightmare had decreased, but it

would've helped even more if there was someone there to comfort him.

His heart ached as he recalled Raymond, the stubborn rookie.

Although Raymond had been cocky and snubbed any sort of authority figure, he still held

a strong sense of justice and a desire to help others-traits that Parker commended.

Parker had been rough with the young cadet, but it was only to help shape him into a

stronger agent, forming him into a better man.

He didn't dare dwell on the morning when he woke up to find Raymond gone, he wasn't

in the mood to feel frightened _or_ depressed. He simply tried to think of happier times

with Raymond in hopes of soothing his nerves.

Parker smiled as he remembered when Raymond first came into the FBC, remembering

how he wanted to strangle the redhead for his haughty attitude.

The younger man only associated with others if it was necessary, preferring to work

alone. He took pride in his skills, never flaunting them, but letting others know that he

could handle anything. In an ironic twist, it was Parker that had come to the cadet's

rescue, shouldering him and helping him through the chaos in Terragrigia.

He could remember how Raymond had trembled ever so slightly as he leaned against him

for support. It had made the Italian realize just how vulnerable the redhead was.

He recalled the night they shared together, although brief, it was one of the best

memories he had of the other man. Never had he imagined that he would develop feelings

for Raymond, he almost laughed at the turn of events. He could still feel the soft pale skin

of the redhead, surprised that a man could have such delicate features. He adored

Raymond's sharp green eyes and soft, full lips.

His eyes felt heavy, feeling much more calm-and safe-now that there were more pleasant

thoughts in mind. Parker closed his eyes and eased into a dreamless slumber.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

The next morning, Parker only had the investigation in mind. But soon it all changed with

one phone call from his boss. Now here he sat in Director Moore's office, the door shut.

He had barely been out of bed for two hours when he got the call that told him to come

in, that on top of not being told what the reason is put him further on the edge.

"What is this about, Moore?" Parker broke the silence, staring at his friend across the

table. The other man frowned as he rubbed his hand along the red stubble on his chin,

staring down at the table thoughtfully. "I wasn't sure if I should have told you about this,

but it does concern you." The red haired man clasped his hands together on the table and

finally made eye contact with the Italian. Moore released a sigh as he slid open a drawer

and pulled out a file, setting it down in front of Parker. "Read it." Moore stated calmly.

Parker quirked an eyebrow and glanced at the folder, pondering the consequences of

reading the files inside. The anticipation got the better of him and he decided to just get it

over with, picking up the folder and opening the flap.

Parker's breath hitched in his throat as he took in the sight of the crime scene photos.

"W-what is this?" Parker looked up at the man in shock. "Jessica Sherawat's case file.

Her body was found in her apartment in France four days ago. It's estimated that she died

about a week ago." Moore's voice took on a sympathetic tone as he tried to let the news

sink in, being as gentle as possible. Parker stared at the photos, confused as to how to

feel. Jessica's body was slumped over a cream colored couch, a single bullet hole in her

forehead. It was a clean kill, there wouldn't have been much of a struggle.

He couldn't stop looking at her eyes…

The eyes that he grew accustomed to during his days in the FBC now looked so empty

and lifeless, a complete contrast to how gleeful and spirited they used to be.

There were more photographs, mostly of her apartment.

"The apartment was completely trashed when police arrived, they had received

complaints of a smell. Some jewelry seems to be missing, so it's believed that it was a

burglary." Moore took a sip from his coffee cup, eyes constantly watching Parker.

"Why are you telling me this?" Parker had to close the folder, he couldn't look at it

anymore. "I hadn't wanted to tell you because I feared it would put you over the edge,

and I didn't want it to interfere with the on-going investigation. But I know that Jessica

was a partner of yours…" Moore ran his hand through his neatly combed hair, scratching

a spot on his scalp. "And there's more." The Director grabbed another folder and set it

down on top of Jessica's file. Parker was afraid to open the next one, fearing that

someone truly dear to him might have been killed as well.

The burly man opened the case file, lips parting in shock. "…Morgan Lansdale?"

"The former commissioner was found dead in his prison cell in D.C., he was poisoned."

Moore answered, setting his coffee cup down. Parker didn't look at the crime scene

photos too closely, only allowing himself to get a glimpse of Morgan's body slumped on

his cot. "poisoned..?" he was at a loss for words, holding his head in his hands.

"The guards think that someone slipped arsenic in his food, somehow." Moore leaned

forward before placing a hand on the agent's shoulder. "Parker, I'm only telling you all

this because you deserve to know." Moore gave a reassuring squeeze. "And…I'm

worried for you, because there are two murders involving former FBC members that we

know of." The redhead looked Parker in the eye. "You think they're related?" Parker sat

back in his chair, looking back at his boss. "I do, I think someone is killing FBC

members. I've already told the ones that transferred over to the BSAA American branch

and everyone is on high alert." Nodded as he leaned back in his seat, clasping his hands

together. "Do you think I'm at risk?" Parker stiffened at the theory. "I think you should

take some time off." Moore winced as the words left his mouth. "Brandon, I.." Parker felt

his head as anxiety started to set in. "I can't just abandon the case, Thomas and Sylvia

need me." Parker looked desperately at the other man, at a loss of whether he should take

himself away from the situation or continue with the investigation.

"The Rourke Case has been put on hold, at least until the coroner report comes in."

"But what about the ID's found at the site? We still need to go and check out their

residence-" "You can investigate the suspect's residence later, you should go home and

rest." Moore interrupted. "I don't need to rest, I need to finish this investigation." Parker

insisted. He didn't want to be cooped up at home by himself, he just didn't want to be left

alone with grim memories-it would kill him, if the 'FBC Killer' didn't get to him first.

"Go home, Luciani, that's an order." Moore stated firmly, frowning at his friend.

Parker glanced down at the table in defeat, knowing that the Director wouldn't allow him

to stay and work. Back in the day, work was just something that needed to be done. But

after the events of The Queen Zenobia, work was an escape for him.

His only escape from a dark past has now been taken away from him…

"Alright, I'll go, but only for a short while." Parker failed to hide the resentment in his

tone, standing up from his seat to exit the office.

The brunette sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair as he walked away from

Moore's office, not liking the curious looks he received. It was common knowledge that

whenever someone goes into the Director's office that it was hardly ever for a good

reason, and today was definitely no exception to that stereotype.

"Parker, what's wrong?" Sylvia caught up with him just as he was about to leave through

the main door of HQ. "Moore says that there is someone out there killing former FBC

members, he worries that I might be next. I've been ordered to go home." Parker

frowned. "A serial killer that kills FBC members? Why?" Sylvia was taken aback by the

news. "So..you're going home, then?" she looked up at him, seeing the defeat in those

blue eyes. "I have no choice, he won't let me stay." Parker placed his hands on his hips

and shifted his weight, a habit to calm his anger. "He's just worried about you, Parker,

it's not like he means to kick you out permanently." She placed her hand on his shoulder,

feeling his muscles tense in annoyance. "Just go home for today and come back

tomorrow, alright?" she gave a reassuring smile, knowing that Parker had become a

workaholic and struggled with the ban from the work environment. "I'll call you tonight

when I get off work." Parker smiled at his friend's compassion.

'_She can be pleasant when she wants to be…'_ he mused.

"Alright, I'll talk to you later tonight then." Parker forced a smile.

Sylvia smiled and patted the Italian before he turned and walked out the door.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Time seemed to crawl by, he turned over in bed for the umpteenth time.

Parker had arrived home two hours ago from the office and it was only noon.

He's still sore from the talk he had with Moore, well, getting talked at by Moore.

He knew that his boss was just worried about him, but he didn't understand how

important it was for him to keep busy-it was a grave mistake to be left alone.

He couldn't stop thinking about Jessica's lifeless eyes and the pained fetal position

Morgan laid in, his mind was being torn apart from the inside out.

He didn't want to know that they had died, even if they deserved whatever happened to

them. Morgan and Jessica both conspired to hide the commissioner's involvement with

Veltro in the destruction of Terragrigia, they were evil, and they did deserve to die.

Didn't they?

Jessica was shot in the head and Morgan was poisoned…

Maybe they did deserve karmic death, but maybe not like this.

Parker certainly didn't deserve to know what happened to them, he now resented his

so-called 'friend' for bestowing that truth on him. _'Moore, you sick bastard…'_

He didn't need this, not now, not ever.

It was bad enough that he had survived Terragrigia, along with the guilt that he couldn't

save very many civilians from the city. With the whole incident on The Queen Zenobia as

well was overkill. But the knowledge of his co-workers having been murdered, that was

the cherry on top. But for what it was worth, Parker couldn't honestly say whether or not

he hated whoever killed Jessica and Morgan…

He could imagine their pain now, gritting his teeth and burrowing his head under the

pillow, trying to block out the choking sounds his mind tricked him into hearing.

Parker sat up from the bed once he started to remember the Hunter's screeching, making

a beeline for the liquor cabinet in the kitchen. The Italian uncorked a bottle of scotch and

started to down the contents, not even bothering to pour into a glass.

He just wanted to forget, that's all he ever wanted…

Parker haphazardly set down the glass bottle on the counter once he felt lightheaded,

more than enough to forget his troubles.

He stumbled as he made his way into the bedroom, chuckling when he bumped into a

wall or chair. He could vaguely hear the crash of the phone falling on the floor after

bumping into the nightstand, laughing as he gave the plastic junk a playful kick before

sprawling on the bed. That was the beauty of alcohol, you didn't have to care about

anything anymore.

His mind drifted to Raymond, he smiled stupidly as he thought about the redhead.

Parker closed his eyes and sighed as he finally relaxed, remembering their night together.

Raymond looked so beautiful, he felt incredibly lucky to have shared such an intimate

moment with the cadet. He loved the keening cries and moans that came from the other

man, taking pride in having caused them. Parker now realized how incredibly horny he

could be when he was drunk. He missed Raymond _so_ much…

His eyes remaining closed, he could remember the feel of Raymond's soft hair. He loved

running his fingers in it when they cuddled. He liked running his hands along the

redhead's body, feeling every curve and dip greedily. Parker loved how Raymond said

his name in a soft and wanting voice, so uncharacteristic of him, but wonderful to hear.

Parker's hand slowly drifted down to unzip his pants, slipping his hand inside.

He remembered exactly how Raymond writhed about as they made love, biting his lip as

he continued to touch himself. "…Raymond…" he whispered softly.

His hand stroked along his cock, moving faster when he remembered how Raymond

moaned. He licked his lips in anticipation, biting back a groan as he imagined the redhead

kissing him. The first wave of pleasure washed over him, his hips jerking upwards

as he gasped. Parker released a breath when his body relaxed on the bed,

taking slow breaths as his body buzzed from the orgasm.

He didn't even bother to open his eyes anymore, knowing that Raymond wouldn't be by

his side-he was never at his side. But now, they could be together, he felt so happy…

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Parker wrenched open the door and walked briskly past Moore's office and towards

Sylvia and Thomas' shared space. "Parker, what happened to you last night? I tried

calling you but-" Sylvia starred at Parker worriedly, taking in his disheveled state.

"Sylvia, Thomas, you're both with me-let's go." Parker ground out as he pointed a thumb

behind him to gesture them to follow. Thomas and Sylvia both blinked before grabbing

their coats and following him out the door. Moore just happened to step out of his office

when he saw the trio making their way towards the exit. "Parker, you-" he started.

"Shut it, Brandon." Parker snarled as he glared at his boss, pushing the door open and

walking outside.

The three of them piled into Parker's Land Rover, keeping quiet as he started the engine

and pulled out of the parking lot. After a few moments of silence, Thomas felt it was safe

enough to ask what was the matter. "Uh…Parker? Is something wrong?" Thomas chose

his words carefully. "Got a hangover." He mumbled. "I thought you weren't drinking

anymore." Sylvia glanced at Parker, repressing a shiver when she saw the anger carved in

his features. "I wouldn't have had to drink if that bastard had let me stay at work, it's his

fault." Parker grumbled bitterly as they were waiting for the traffic light to change.

"…You haven't eaten today, have you?" Sylvia raised an eyebrow at the Italian.

Parker remained silent, keeping his eyes on the road.

"Let's stop at the café, shall we?" Sylvia smiled, trying to cheer the grouchy man up.

Parker sighed in defeat as he gave in to his hunger, pulling over to the side once they

neared the restaurant. As immature as it may seem, he wanted to be pissed at the world.

But, good old Sylvia was never one to let people remain in sour moods.

'Let me be angry, woman, I deserve that much with all the shit that's happening…'

"Alright, let's go in." Sylvia patted Parker on the shoulder before stepping out of the car.

"Thomas you go on ahead and get us a table, we'll be right there." Sylvia smiled.

"Got it." Thomas nodded knowingly before pulling the glass door and went inside.

"Parker, tell me what's going on, this isn't like you." Sylvia crossed her arms as she

looked at Parker, causing the other man to sheepishly bow his head and delve his hands

into his pockets. "Parker…." She turned her head slightly.

"Remember what I told you about my boss and former partner?" Parker glanced up at the

brunette. "Yeah, what about them?" she quirked an eyebrow.

"They were killed, both of them." He replied sadly. Surprise and realization spread across

her face, reaching out to touch Parker's arm. "Parker, I'm so sorry…"

"I don't know how to feel about it, Sylvia, they did unspeakable things-unforgivable

things to people. I don't know if I should feel remorse for them or not.." Parker frowned.

"People died because of them, and they probably wouldn't ever stop, right?" Sylvia asked

softly. "You're right, but still…I don't know if they deserved to die like that."

Parker had felt guilty for wanting them to suffer, feeling as if he were the one that

dealt their punishment. But more than that, he worried about what could happen to the

other FBC agents out there. The way Jessica and Morgan died was…cold.

An image of Raymond crossed his mind and his heart sunk, fearing the worst for the

former cadet. _'What if they kill Raymond..?'_

Parker suddenly wrapped his arms around Sylvia and held onto her, taking her by

surprise. Sylvia patted the Italian on the back reassuringly, hugging him tighter.

"It'll be alright, Parker, I'm sure of it." She spoke in a hushed tone.

Parker had to fight hard to not cry in that moment, squeezing his eyes shut before letting

out a breath and releasing his friend. "I believe you, I know you have a good intuition."

He smiled. "Feel better now?" Sylvia patted him on the arm. "Yeah, for now.."

"You're not going to drink anymore, are you? Because I honestly thought you were going

to kill Brandon back there." She joked. "He deserved it, I had one hell of a night." Parker

scoffed. "But no, I won't drink so long as I have a job to do." He winked. Sylvia rubbed

her head with a sigh, yet smiled at the man's antics. "Come on, we need to get you fed,

big bear." Sylvia grinned as she pulled on the man's arm. "I'm not a bear." Parker

chuckled. "No, but you're grouchy like one-hairy too." She laughed.

Parker sighed at her jabs at him as he followed her to the door, welcoming the delectable

smells that wafted in the air.

As he stepped inside the café, he couldn't help but feel that he was being watched…

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Do you think I've used mental warfare against Parker a little too much?

I feel that I have and I feel horrible!

I wasn't sure how I was going to put the nightmare sequences into words, but I just tried

to imagine what dreams are like for me-they're out of your control, weird things happen

and…sometimes when my dreams change they have a little 'intermission' where

everything fades to black.

I finally got around to describing how Moore looks, albeit vaguely, but I guess you can

just try to imagine him as a redheaded Ewan McGregor, because that's sort of what I had

in mind-neatly comb straight hair with a bit of stubble. Still have yet to describe Thomas,

but I'll get to that in the next chapter-where the agents will finally get down to business!

I'm sorry if there doesn't seem to be enough action, I'm trying to churn out these

mundane chapters first so that the more exciting ones can be written-but it takes time.

So it's official, Jessica and Morgan are dead-oh come on, they were evil! (it's justified!)

I'm not going into detail about their deaths just yet, Parker is still in shock after the

discovery and I would assume that anyone who finds out about something like that would

be horrified and disgusted-they wouldn't want to know the details, they would just want

to be blissfully ignorant. But trust me, their deaths are a big turning point in the story, but

I won't say why~

I'll get started on the third chapter and post it up later in a couple of days or so.

I would also like to write the fourth chapter too because the plot for it is good!

Lin


	4. Scratching The Surface

Parker all but purred as he continued to eat his sandwich, pausing when he noticed Sylvia

snickering. "What?" The brunette quirked his head to the side. "You're such a bear,

grouchy until you're fed." She chuckled, taking a sip of her water. Parker rolled his eyes

as he realized that she was still hung up on his bitter mood from awhile ago.

"Which I'm still confused by-you're not an angry person, Parker." Thomas talked as he

ate his buttered muffin, miraculously avoiding to spew any of it. Parker fell silent as he

remembered the so-called 'events' that transpired last night, mentally kicking himself for

being so quick to self-medicate with the very thing he vowed to never touch again.

It hurt all the more when he remembered having that moment of remembering Raymond.

"Like I said, I had a hangover." Parker chuckled. "I didn't mean to take it out on you two,

you know." He smiled sheepishly. "Nah, it was mostly the Director's head you nearly bit

off, no worries." Thomas snorted as he brushed his blonde hair away from his face.

"Oh, speak of the devil." Sylvia spoke as she answered her ringing cell phone.

"Hey, B, what's up?" She took another sip of her water as she waited for an answer.

"Is the bloody git with you?" Moore grumbled as he spoke to his subordinate.

Sylvia almost choked on her drink as she repressed a laugh. "P-Parker? Yeah, we're all

here." Parker quirked an eyebrow as he continued to eat, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Good, perhaps you can tell him to watch his mouth the next time he plans on using it."

"If he asks, just tell him we're continuing with the investigation." Parker mumbled to her

quietly before looking out the window. "Wait-what? Parker, I thought you-Huh? No,

nothing sir." Sylvia stumbled over her words as she tried to address both men.

"I'll be right back." Sylvia got up from the seat beside Parker and walked towards the

bathrooms. "Brandon, Parker would like to continue with the investigation." Sylvia

smoothed her auburn bangs behind an ear. "The investigation? Sylvia, the man is

probably grieving and he should be at home until the uh…The FBC Killer has been

apprehended." Moore continued, seemingly less gruff now.

"This must be his way of coping, he just wants a distraction." Sylvia defended the Italian.

"That may be, but I don't like the idea of him gallivanting around town with this

murderer on the loose.." he sighed. "I understand you're worried for him, but if this is

what keeps him going then he should do it. Personally, I don't want to see him get

depressed-you know how he is when he gets like that, don't you?" Sylvia stubbornly

continued her argument. "Yes, I know…But…Alright, if you all want to continue,

then go ahead." Moore sighed in defeat. "Alright, we're going to be visiting

the suspect's residence, maybe we'll find something there." Sylvia nodded.

"Sounds good, be careful out there."

"And Brandon, thanks for this-it will mean a lot to him."

Sylvia smiled as she watched Parker and Thomas laugh, probably from one of Thomas'

crass jokes. "Sure. Oh and be sure to give him a good smack for me." Moore chuckled.

Sylvia put her phone back into her pocket before walking back to the table.

Parker yelped in surprise when his tomboyish friend smacked him upside the head.

"The hell, woman?" Parker rubbed his head, chuckling at her smirk.

"A gift from Brandon, he sends his blessing." She laughed as she took her seat.

"Does that mean that the investigation is back on?" Thomas looked up from his coffee.

"Yeah, we're back in the game." The brunette replied before biting into a cinnamon roll.

"Thanks, Syl." Parker smiled at Sylvia in gratitude, Sylvia rolling her eyes with a laugh.

"You're just lucky that I'm feeling generous today, otherwise I'd make you get your ass

back in bed." She mumbled. "Normally I would gladly accept that offer, but…" Parker

trailed off sadly. "We know, so stop moping already." Thomas spoke up.

"You're right, we have an investigation to tend to." Parker grinned.

"Should we go now?" Sylvia paused in her eating, eyes pleading to the Italian.

"Yes we have to go now, but you can bring some rolls for the trip." Parker chuckled.

"Alright then." She laughed, placing her part of the bill on the table before getting up.

"I'll drive, I wrote down the addresses from those ID cards." Parker paid for the meal

and got up to start walking towards the exit. "I'm coming with you, it takes time for her

to pick out what rolls she wants." Thomas sighed as he caught up with the burly man.

"Doesn't that mean that you should stay with her to urge her to hurry?" Parker quirked an

eyebrow as he opened the glass door. "No, because then she would ask me for my

opinion and then we'd get into an argument over which is better-that's time wasted."

Thomas laughed. Parker grabbed his car keys from his pocket and slipped them into the

door lock, pausing when he felt a strange presence. "What's wrong, Parker?" Thomas put

his arms up on the hood of the car and looked at the other man with concern.

Parker looked around but didn't see anyone that had been looking at him. Ever since he

left the crime scene in Rourke he felt like he was constantly watched, and he had every

right to be nervous considering his involvement. "It's nothing.." Parker shook his head

and unlocked the door, sitting in his seat and unlocking the other doors.

"I wish she'd hurry up." Thomas got into the front seat beside Parker and shut his door.

Parker glanced at Thomas, noticing that he still wore his signature black leather jacket

over a blue button up shirt and black slacks. Thomas' hair was blonde and short,

repressing a laugh when he remembered Sylvia picking on Thomas for looking like he

was from some boy band. He would've thought that maybe Thomas and Raymond could

have gotten along together but that thought was tossed out the window when Thomas

opened his mouth, speaking with an Australian accent and cracking jokes.

'_Ohh Raymond would strangle Sylvia if he had the chance…'_ Parker chuckled.

Parker knew that Raymond didn't have anything against any particular background, but

he became moody whenever he was around people with perky personalities.

Then again, almost anything would piss the redhead off…

Although, he was unsure if Raymond would get along with Moore, their sarcastic boss.

Moore was Irish and tended to treat other BSAA members like family, a quality that both

touched and mystified the Italian.

"Hey, sorry it took so long." Sylvia suddenly opened the back door and slid into the back

seat, shutting the door and placing the box of rolls onto the seat beside her.

"So, where is the place?" Thomas glanced at Parker expectantly.

"It's an apartment, I'm assuming, because it says..." He grunted as he twisted around to

get the slip of paper from his back pocket, reading it aloud. "#42, it's on Birch

Street, about a half hour away." Parker placed the paper on top of his dashboard, turning

on the car's engine. "What about the other one?" Sylvia leaned forward.

"They were roommates."

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"Any idea of what we should look for?" Sylvia looked out the windshield

absentmindedly. "Maybe they kept more samples at home? Or maybe we can find out

how they got it.." Parker thought aloud as he continued to drive.

Parker was anxious to search the apartment, they were strapped for clues as to who had

done this or why-and he wanted to put an end to it before whatever plan they had got off

the ground. "I'd really like to know if there are any other members, why else would that

fire have been started?" Sylvia frowned. "I think we're here." Parker stopped the car and

checked the address on the paper, satisfied that the location was correct before pulling

into the parking lot. "We should get the landlord to let us in." Thomas opened his

door and stepped out. "You two go on and find the apartment, I'll get the key." Sylvia

shut her car door and walked off. "Let's go, then." Thomas nodded in the direction of a

staircase. "Hey, what do you know, we actually found the right floor." Thomas smiled as

he stood and waited in front of the door, a golden 42 hung on the black wooden surface.

"This apartment complex seems a little upscale, don't you think?" Thomas leaned against

the wall, crossing his arms. _'That takes me back..' _Parker blinked as he remembered how

Raymond would lean up against a wall like that, a cocky attitude practically radiating off

of him. "Well, I'd assume that they would need a lot of money, considering that they

bought a weapon off the black market." Parker chuckled.

"Got the key, let's get in there." Sylvia hurried over to unlock the door, Parker and

Thomas holding their handguns in case someone was still inside.

Sylvia flung the door open and backed away, allowing Parker and Thomas to take the

lead. "BSAA, anyone here?" Parker stated, pointing his gun as he peeked around a

corner. "I'll check over here.." Thomas whispered as he walked down the hallway

towards the rooms, Sylvia close behind.

Parker didn't pay attention to anything in his surroundings until he was certain that it was

safe to search, looking in the living room and kitchen. "Clear." He stated before walking

down the hallway to join his teammates. "All clear." Sylvia placed her gun in her side

holster, Parker and Thomas doing the same. "Maybe the both of them were in that fire.."

"Maybe, but it's still possible that they might be hiding somewhere else." Parker glanced

around the bedroom. "I'll check here, Sylvia you take the other bedroom, Thomas you

can check the closets." Parker requested. "Don't touch anything that contains red liquid,

alright?" he glanced at the two partners, both of them nodding before stepping out.

The room itself was in decent condition, but it seemed like the bedroom of a youth,

considering the soccer ball in the corner of the room and the textbooks on the desk.

Parker sighed sadly, wishing that none of this had been the work of some kids.

He decided to check the closet first, seeing it was crammed full of clothes and boxes.

One of the boxes contained some photographs, the young man that was in them matched

the ID card found at the crime scene-Richard Clayton.

Judging from the look of the room and the photographs, Richard was a sports fanatic and

a friendly guy. It just didn't seem to add up that some kid would buy a viral weapon…

The photographs consisted of family gatherings, but they looked fairly old.

Richard and his mother were in a few of them, then there were some of him with friends.

Parker shook his head and put the box back in the closet, choosing to look elsewhere.

There was nothing under the bed, but checking the sock drawer revealed a journal.

"What do we have here…?" Parker mumbled as he stood in the middle of the room,

opening the brown book to read its contents-reading the more recent entries.

'_I can't believe those bastards! The damn assholes kicked me out of the university, all _

_because I had given experimental drugs to some neighbor of mine-damn good they did _

_anyway, poor soul died. Because of the experimental drugs I had stolen from the lab and _

_given them to the 'general public' because they weren't approved by the FDA, I've been _

_expelled-worse, it's going on my record and I doubt I'll get into any reasonable college. _

_How could they do this to me? I was only doing my duty as a doctor, helping people and _

_making them better! Why did they refuse to give those drugs to those who really need it? _

_Why did they have to expel me? Fuck, why didn't those damn quacks help my mother all _

_those years ago..? As humans, we're supposed to help each other out, right? _

_All these years, all those classes, all that money-down the drain!_

_Fuck them, fuck them all to hell!'_

Parker turned the next page, it was dated four months later-three weeks ago.

'_After losing my credibility as a medical student, I've decided to take matters into my own _

_hands-buy drugs from the black market and give them to people who truly deserve them. _

_It's criminal how much hospitals charge patients for treatment, no one should have to _

_pay so much-or go untreated altogether. However, I found a guy who was offering _

_something different, something weird. Someone I often bought drugs from gave me his _

_number to call, so I gave it a try. He said that what he had wasn't a drug, but a weapon._

_He said that it was powerful and devastating, it would bring on a new age._

_I don't exactly know what he meant by that, but after talking some more I realized that _

_this might just be the cure-all I've been looking for. Yes, it's a deadly weapon, but think _

_of the people who wouldn't have to suffer anymore-it's like assisted suicide._

_I've talked it over with Brad, George and the others and we're going through with our _

_plan. We bought some vials of the stuff and went to the old factory near a beach outside _

_town, I guess you could call it our home base. I don't know what will happen to us, I only _

_hope that it will somehow make a difference in one way or another._

_All I ever wanted was to help people, everyone deserves a chance to live._

_But now this world has become selfish and corrupt, it's time they took their medicine.'_

Parker closed the journal with a heavy sigh, setting it down on the dresser.

He didn't really want to even look at the memoir that sat there, it possessed all of

Richard's inner thoughts-all of which were grim and vengeful.

Richard's only family was his mother, and lost her when she became sick from a terminal

illness-one that was currently incurable. After his mother died, he vowed to become a

doctor so he could prevent such tragedies from happening to others. But then a foolish

incident occurred and he was expelled from medical school and it went on his permanent

record, preventing him from going to any other academy. Feeling rejected, spiteful and

betrayed Richard wanted to enact revenge against the very people that were supposed to

help him, and help him to help others. _'Poor kid…'_ Parker thought solemnly.

Shaking his head, Parker moved his attention to the desk, ignoring the textbooks.

Upon checking the drawers he found a slip of paper, a bank statement.

It seems that Richard had taken out close to three thousand pounds out of his account,

nearly clearing himself out of all his money. The transition was made out to cash,

meaning that that would possibly the money that was paid to the man Richard described

in his journal.

'He wasn't planning on continuing on with life, either dying or getting arrested…'

Three thousand pounds. Was that _really_ the price for death?

Was it really all it took to cause such calamity?

Parker placed the bank statement on top of the journal for evidence.

"Thomas, Sylvia, did you two find anything?" Parker called out as he stepped out.

"In here, Parker." Sylvia called back, beckoning him.

"What is it?" Parker walked into what he assumed was Brad Locke's room.

"This is Brad's notebook, he was a student majoring in journalism." Sylvia handed the

black leather book to the Italian, crossing her arms and looking down at the floor.

The notebook contained various notes about the medical department at the university,

listing outlines and rough drafts for a report. "I guess they both went to the same

university too.." Parker mumbled as he continued flipping through the pages.

"In short, Brad discovered that the university's medical department contained drugs that

hadn't been approved of by the FDA and they were conducting experiments."

"But don't most medical colleges conduct experiments?" Parker quirked an eyebrow.

"Yeah, they conduct experiments for new treatments and post their findings in medical

journals-but these experiments weren't completely legal. Brad wanted to report to the

authorities what he discovered but then the university found out what he was up to and

expelled him, and demanded that he destroy his findings."

"Is there any evidence of what the drugs did?" Parker glanced up from the notebook.

"No, there's nothing, just the notebook." Sylvia frowned.

"The notebook can only be based on opinion, we can't use it." Parker sighed.

"The footnotes say that he did take photographs, but I haven't found any in here." Sylvia

placed her hand on her hip and looked around the room.

"The university probably confiscated them, do you want to pay it a visit?"

"Hang on there, let's take it one step at a time." Thomas stepped into the room.

"We can worry about the university later, we still need to find out who set that fire and if

there are any survivors." Thomas continued, glancing at the notebook in Parker's hand.

"But this could be what we need, this might be what drove these boys to buy the virus-the

university could be at fault for this. Besides, what if something else is going on?" Sylvia

looked at Thomas with a raised eyebrow. "Yeah, what if someone at the university killed

them and set fire to the factory? This could be the lead we need." Parker defended

Sylvia's argument.

Sylvia's phone rang, making the trio jump at the sudden noise.

"Brandon? Oh, I see…alright then, we'll be right there." Sylvia hung up.

"Brandon says the coroner's report came back, he wants us to go see him."

"That was fast, it's only been two days." Parker glanced at Sylvia.

"Look, let's just go to the coroner's office and see the results." Thomas stated firmly.

"I'm…overwhelmed with all this, they were just kids-I never expected that." Thomas

sighed and rubbed his face, clearly showing how much the case was distressing him.

"It's alright, Thomas, we can interview the university later." Sylvia placed her hand on

her partner's shoulder comfortingly.

"Alright, if you say so…" Parker eyed Thomas oddly, thinking it strange that the other

man would refuse to take up a lead in the case that could lead them to the cause.

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"Ah, there you all are." An older man smiled politely at the three agents. "Hey Neil, what

did you find?" Sylvia smiled, sitting down when Neil gestured for them to take a seat.

"Well, I thought I'd spare you the grim sight and just give you my findings." Neil pulled

out a folder from a pile. "I don't have very much to go on right now, I'll need DNA

samples to confirm who they are, but I can tell you this much." he replied sadly.

"Those vials did contain the T-Abyss virus, I had a conversation with a friend of mine in

the states and he was one of the few who discovered the one sample that was found

during the Queen Zenobia case-" Neil took notice of the pained expression on Parker's

face and quickly moved on. I also found bullets lodged in their skulls and various parts of

their bodies, but there are two kinds of bullets though." Neil paused

in his report. "Thing is, all the guns that were found at the scene were all the same model

and used the same bullets-but the bullets that were found in their skulls are a different

type of bullet and the gun that fired them has never been found."

Parker rubbed his chin as the information sunk in. "I'm thinking that somehow the virus

got loose and half of their group turned into monsters, then they shot at them-but the

bullets found in their skulls makes me think that someone, someone outside their group,

was experienced and managed to kill them all with a single shot." Parker thought aloud.

"So, you're thinking that someone else was involved in this?" Sylvia spoke up.

"Yeah, but who? And why were they even there in the first place?"

"What kind of bullets were they?" Thomas leaned forward in his seat.

"The majority of the bullets were 9mm caliber handgun bullets that were fired from

M92F's, all of which they carried. However, the bullets that were found in their skulls

were .50 caliber rounds…I suspect that they're from a desert eagle." Neil nodded.

"A desert eagle is a fairly powerful gun, someone would need to be experienced to handle

something like that.." Parker trailed off. "I can't say for sure. But if you find the gun, I'll

try and see if it matches." Neil pushed up his glasses before folding his hands.

"Is there anything else?" Sylvia fidgeted in her chair.

"I've taken DNA samples from all the corpses, I don't know even know what gender they

were…it'll take some time to determine, considering the damage they sustained from the

fire and the virus that changed their genetic make up. I'm sorry, but that's all I can give

you…" Neil sighed as he leaned back in his chair. "It's alright, Neil, all this helps."

Sylvia smiled and got up from her seat, Parker and Thomas following suit.

"We're going to need to go back and get some DNA samples from Brad and Richard's

apartment…" Sylvia spoke softly as they walked down the hallway.

"Not only that, we're going to need to find out who those other bodies are, we'll need to

interview their families." Thomas rubbed the back of his neck, sighing in exhaustion.

"Richard doesn't have any relatives, to my knowledge, but we can check their birth

certificates and try to find any relatives either of them have." Parker replied.

"Another thing, I think it might be a good idea to go check out all the gun stores and see

if we can't get ahold of anyone that has seen the group-maybe we could identify them all

that way." The Italian continued. "We're just going to have to wait until tomorrow, it's

late and I'm starting to lose it." Sylvia stretched her arms and popped her neck.

"You two go on and head home, I'm going to stay here a little while longer." Parker

smiled sympathetically. "What are you going to do?" Thomas gave Parker an incredulous

look. "There are still some things I need to do." He answered with a crooked grin.

"Don't stay too late, alright?" Sylvia poked him playfully in the ribs, smiling when

Parker rubbed his chest in mock pain. "Don't worry, it's just paperwork." He laughed.

"Alright then, good night." Sylvia smiled before walking towards the exit.

"You alright, Thomas?" Parker placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm alright now, thanks. Sorry about earlier, I'm sure it was really…weird."

Thomas chuckled. "Nah, I think we're all getting worked up over this case. I think it

might be a good idea to rest up for awhile, at least for tonight." Parker smiled.

"Don't get carried away, alright?" Thomas gave Parker that knowing look.

"I won't, now get out of here." Parker patted Thomas on the back before turning and

walking towards his office.

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Parker yawned as he walked along the sidewalk, shoving his hands into his pockets.

He actually didn't stay at the office for very much longer, he realized.

The brunette sat at his computer and wrote a few notes of what the investigation entailed,

trying to keep it all straight in his head. It only managed to make him feel depressed

because it seemed as if death was everywhere. He couldn't stand it anymore…

So he decided to do himself a favor and walk home, walking because he needed the fresh

air and time to think-the Land Rover was left at the office for the time being since he

mostly walked to and from work anyways.

He looked forward to a hot meal and a shower, but he dreaded sleeping.

He really wondered if these nightmares would ever end…

Parker realized that he kept looking over his shoulder, but never saw anyone there.

When had he become so paranoid?

As he continued to walk alone the more nervous he felt.

The Italian knew that he was bigger than most people around town and could take on

anyone that so much as gave him a nasty look. But for some reason, throughout this

whole investigation, he felt something stalking him and he wished it would just stop.

'Stop scaring yourself, Luciani…' Parker scolded himself.

He didn't like being alone, this he realized now.

It only reminded him of the frightening, seemingly endless terror back in Terragrigia.

The halls were empty, anything could happen in an empty hallway.

Just as much so if it were an empty street…

He started to remember what the Hunters looked like and wished he hadn't.

They were so fast and agile, they could rush you in one leap and kill you with one hit!

A sudden crack somewhere off in the distance made his heart jump and he panicked.

Parker took off running down the street, looking for any building that still had lights on.

His pulse quickened and he panted heavily, remembering the screeching and the horrified

screams. He thought he saw a flash of green and dove into the first door he saw.

The Italian blinked and he realized that he had taken refuge in a pub.

'_Why do I keep running back to the bottle?'_ Parker almost laughed at the irony.

He didn't want to go back out there, he wanted to rest and try to calm down first.

Of course, some of the patrons closer to the entrance were watching him as he walked up

towards the counter, sitting down on a stool. Obviously, anyone who practically tackles a

door is going to be noticed. "Hey, what can I get you?" the bartender smiled as he dried a

glass. "Uh, just a beer, thanks." Parker forced a smile. The other man nodded and poured

a mug of beer from a spout and set it in front of the burly man. "Thank you." Parker took

the mug and had intended on sipping it but instead gulped it down by the mouthful.

He bought another glass of beer and sipped at it, cringing whenever the door opened.

He was starting to feel calmer now that he was in a brightly lit environment filled

with chattering people, not to mention having a drink in hand as well.

"Didn't I tell you to take better care of yourself?" a familiar voice suddenly spoke.

Parker froze, turning his gaze to the figure that stood beside him.

"…Raymond?"

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Ahh so Raymond finally makes an appearance~

I'm glad to finally bring him into the story, it's been difficult to write the story without

him. But now that he's made his presence known, it's sure to stir things up.

I'm a little worried about how this story will progress because it really could go either

way. I don't want this to be full of action and violence like the actual games because I'm

sure that BSAA operatives do other work besides going to biohazard hot zones and shoot

up monsters-they must do paperwork and investigations as well.

Although I'm sure that if Capcom were to make a sequel for Revelations it probably

wouldn't be anything like this, ah well. It's a story nonetheless and I plan to stick with it

until the end!

I tried to write Richard's journal entries as best I could possibly think of, but I don't think

they'll ever do the journals justice in the actual games-but it's a good experiment.

One of the things I like about RE the most is the journals and documents that you find

throughout the game, it adds more depth to the atmosphere, the characters and the plot.

The documents tell you of events that you haven't seen but make you feel like you're

right there in the moment-that's what I hope to recreate…

I'd like to write and post the fourth chapter up as well, like I said before, but I don't know

if I'll get to it this week or write it next week. We'll just have to see, won't we?

Lin


	5. A Chance Encounter

Did his eyes deceive him..?

Was Raymond Vester truly standing beside him in this very pub?

Two beers wasn't enough to put him under the table, and he didn't believe that he had

lost his mind-although given his career choice, no one would put it against him.

Two years. Two long, lonely years…

Parker couldn't help but stare at the red haired man, mouth hanging in shock.

"Well, you look like you've seen a ghost." Raymond chuckled as he sat down on the

stool next to the Italian, ordering a glass of gin. "Raymond…is it really you?" Parker

blinked in disbelief. "It's been a long time, Parker." A small, seemingly sad smile graced

the redhead's face. "What are you doing here-in London?" Parker took a sip of his mug

after realizing his throat had gone dry. "I've been traveling a lot lately, then I saw you

one day and decided to extend my stay here." Raymond gulped down a mouthful of gin

before setting it down on the counter, grimacing at the burning in his throat.

"You mean…you've seen me on more than one occasion?" Parker quirked an eyebrow.

Raymond paused at sipping his drink, pondering his choice of words.

"I've been watching you, I can't deny that." Raymond stared at the counter for a long

time, avoiding eye contact with the other man. "I just didn't know how to approach you,

Parker. It's been so long…" he frowned and squeezed the glass tightly.

"…Have you been following me this whole time?" Parker's eyes widened at the

realization, feeling stupid for jumping at shadows the past week. Raymond only gave a

short nod to confirm the answer, otherwise speechless.

"You scared the hell out of me, cadet!" Parker burst out laughing, causing the redhead to

stare at the other man in bewilderment.

Parker wiped at his eyes after his laughter dwindled into a chuckle.

"Ahh I'm sorry, Raymond. Things have been rather tense lately and you just surprised

me." He gave a pat on Raymond's shoulder. "…Been a long time since you called me

that." Raymond snorted at his nickname. Parker smiled fondly as he recalled calling the

redhead 'Cadet' as a means of keeping him in line, often failing due to his stubborn

nature. "Yeah, it has…"

"You say things have been tense, why?" Raymond laid his arm on the counter and leaned

on it as he watched Parker's features turn grim. "You have no idea what's been going

on, do you?" Parker sighed as he swirled the beer in the mug, wondering if he should

order another one. Raymond blinked and cocked his head to the side, listening intently.

"I suppose I should be the one to tell you…." Parker rubbed his eyes with one hand.

"Someone is killing FBC members, Jessica and Morgan are dead." Parker looked up at

Raymond sadly. "Not that I'm entirely sure they didn't deserve it, it's still awful how

they died." Raymond frowned at the news, looking down at his hands as it sunk in.

"The killer hasn't been caught yet, and I fear the worst for everyone else…"

"Any idea why they're doing it?" Raymond glanced at Parker.

"No, and that's what worries me. I have no idea who they're targeting." Parker frowned.

"As if that wasn't enough, there are-were-bioterrorists in the area." Parker motioned for

the bartender to give him another beer, taking it gratefully. "Here?" Raymond sat up in

his seat. "Yeah, bunch of college students somehow got their hands on a virus. At the

crime scene, their mutations looked the same as the ones we saw on The Queen Zenobia,

even the coroner agrees that it's the same crap that was found in their blood stream."

"They were just kids…" Parker's voice became a small whisper.

"I don't want to talk about it anymore." Parker sighed as he brushed his bangs away from

his face, gulping down the contents of his mug. Parker jumped when he felt a hand

squeeze his shoulder, glancing up to see Raymond staring at him worriedly.

"We should go, beer isn't going to help." Raymond paid for both his and Parker's recent

drink, tugging on the Italian's arm. Parker chuckled at the redhead, finishing the last

drops in the glass before getting up from the stool. Raymond pushed the pub's door open

and waited as Parker slipped past him. "Where are you staying?" Parker glanced at

Raymond once their paces matched, slipping his hands into his pockets. "At a hotel, it's

not far." Raymond watched a car speed by as they walked.

"You're coming home with me."

Raymond snapped his head in Parker's direction, surprise plastered on his face.

"What?"

It would be a lie if Parker didn't want to stay with Raymond for as long as possible.

They've only just found each other again after all these years.

He wasn't ready to let him go…

"I have no idea where the hell that FBC Killer is, and I don't want you to be alone right

now. It's best if we stay together." Parker inwardly patted himself on the back for coming

up with a justifiable reason to keep the red haired man close.

Raymond was at a loss of what to say, staring at the ground in silence.

"If..If you're comfortable with me staying with you tonight, then it's fine." Raymond

glanced away. Parker smirked at the sight of seeing Raymond's cheeks blush.

He took pride in causing the arrogant redhead to fluster.

"Alright, it's settled then."

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Parker unlocked the apartment door and let Raymond step inside first before locking it

behind him. Raymond stood in the middle of the living room, taking in the condition

of the Italian's 'abode'. For the most part it was clean, almost seemed unlived in.

Raymond could only assume that Parker occupied the bars and his office more than his

own apartment. The room was quiet, unlike the boisterous pub they had just left.

The air was still and the two men stood in an awkward silence.

Parker glanced out the window and remembered that it was still late, frowning at the

thought of having to lay his head down at the mercy of his tormented mind.

"Well, you can have the bed and I'll sleep on the couch." Parker suddenly broke the

silence between them, almost wincing at the words he just uttered.

Sure, he missed the other man at an unfathomable level, but that didn't excuse his sudden

disappearance two years ago. Remembering that now, the ache in his heart throbbed.

Raymond turned to Parker, features changing from hurt to stoic.

"It's your apartment, Parker, I'll take the couch." The redhead insisted.

"No, you're the guest and I insist that you be comfortable. Go on now." Parker smiled at

the other man, his smile faltering as Raymond hesitantly walked into the bedroom alone.

Parker sighed as his shoulders slumped forward, moving to grab a blanket and pillow.

'_It's going to be a long night…'_ he thought bitterly.

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Raymond laid in bed, a deep frown on his face as his arms were folded behind his head.

It was bizarre to be in his long-lost lover's apartment and they weren't even sleeping in

the same bed. It was awkward and bittersweet, more on the bitter end.

He didn't expect Parker to welcome him back with open arms, but he had hoped that they

could smooth things over and rekindle their relationship.

Raymond wished that Parker was lying in bed with him, enveloping his skinnier form in

his strong arms. He missed the sound of Parker's heartbeat, how he nuzzled his face in

his hair unconsciously as he slept. They were simple traits, but they were just some of the

few that he adored the most.

He regretted leaving the Italian in that hotel room two years ago, but he had his reasons.

He wished that he had never left the other man…

The scenario of him and Parker disappearing together tempted him on more than one

occasion. Many nights he spent alone just like this at home, thinking of the burly man.

A sudden creak from the other room piqued Raymond's curiosity.

Parker had all but ordered Raymond to sleep in the bedroom-without him-while he slept

on the couch in the living room. He wondered if Parker was asleep now…

'_It won't hurt to at least check on him.'_ Raymond sat up and brought his feet down to the

carpeted floor, brushing his fringe away from his face. The moonlight shined in from the

window and it felt comforting to the redhead. Green eyes followed the trail the blue rays

lined out for him, gracing the carpet, his legs and the nightstand.

There was a slip of paper on the nightstand that seemed out of place.

He really didn't like snooping around Parker's things, mostly out of fear of angering the

other man. But his curiosity got the better of him, picking up the scrap of paper.

Raymond's eyes widened when he saw the familiar handwriting that littered the page.

It was the letter he had written and left behind when he left Parker in Malta all

those years ago. The paper was creased in places from where it had been folded up,

undoubtedly occupying the man's pocket on more than one occasion.

Reading the words on the page suddenly brought him back to Malta two years ago…

'Parker, I'm so sorry, but I can't stay. There have been quite a few changes this past

_year, things that I cannot tell you. But there is one thing I can tell you…_

_I love you. I'll always love you, and I'll always be watching over you. So, please, take _

_care of yourself-for me. I don't know what the future holds, I don't know what will be _

_asked of me, but just know that I have good reasons for doing all this. _

_I hope one day I can be rid of it all and spend my life with you._

_I want that for us someday, I really do. _

_Don't worry about me, I'll be just fine._

_Be sure to take your medication, focus on getting better!_

_I'll miss you…_

_Love always, Ray.'_

Tears stung Raymond's eyes as he read the letter, covering his face with one hand.

_'He kept it all these years…'_

He remembered that morning, writing that letter as he watched Parker's sleeping form.

The man looked so tired, so drained. It was more than just physical exhaustion, it was so

much more than the pain in his leg. His spirit was tested, crushed, and reawakened.

Raymond didn't know how Parker would take his disappearance, and he wasn't sure he

ever wanted to know. Raymond had left the note on the bedside table and kissed Parker

on the forehead before leaving the room.

Opening his eyes, Raymond was back in Parker's apartment, as if he never left.

He set the paper back down on the nightstand and stood up.

The bedroom door creaked loudly as he opened it, wincing at the piercing noise.

A grunt from the couch made his heart stop, freezing in place.

When the form on the couch stirred he felt it was safe to move again.

Raymond quietly crept up to the couch and almost smirked at his splayed position.

He frowned when he saw a handgun sitting on the coffee table next to the couch.

It was obvious now that Parker was keeping watch…

Upon closer examination, Raymond's heart throbbed at the sight of Parker shivering

despite the blanket draped over his body. The breathy gasps and pained grunts confirmed

Raymond's suspicion that Parker was having a nightmare. "R…Ray.." Parker mumbled.

Raymond gently lifted Parker's head off the pillow and tossed the pillow away before

sitting on the couch, lowering Parker's head onto his lap. "I'm here…" he whispered.

The redhead slowly ran his fingers through Parker's hair, smiling when Parker began to

calm down. Raymond laid his back against the couch and relaxed as he continued to pet

Parker's head comfortingly. Parker curled up against Raymond, face nuzzling his legs.

_'I'm not going anywhere…'_

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Parker first noticed that the pillow felt strangely different, but nuzzled closely to the

warmth it brought to his face and shoulders. Then he smelled something familiar…

That smell was unmistakable, something he grew to love. _'…Cologne?'_

He opened his eyes to see not white, but black. His eyes moved up to see Raymond's

sleeping face, his head craned at an awkward angle as he laid against the back of the

couch. It took a moment before it finally made sense to him.

Raymond came and sat with him during the night.

Parker reached his hand out and touched Raymond's stomach, smiling when he felt it

rise and fall. The redhead looked divine in his disheveled state, his hair tussled from

sleep and his white shirt unbuttoned and wrinkled.

'_These two years certainly have been good to you, cadet.'_ Parker smiled as he continued

to watch Raymond sleep, dreading the moment when he would awaken.

Those lips looked so kissable…

Parker rose from Raymond's lap and brought his face closer to the former cadet's.

His lips managed to lightly brush against the soft pink skin before he felt the man stir.

Pausing in the kiss, Parker smiled fondly before getting up from the couch as quietly as

possible, trying to avoid waking the redhead. Once on his feet, the Italian gently moved

Raymond until he was lying on the couch comfortably, covering him with the blanket.

Parker hesitantly moved from the spot in front of the sleeping man and crept into his

bedroom to change. He smoothed the blankets back into place after seeing where

Raymond had gotten up in the night. Pulling out his dresser drawer, he grabbed a pair of

khaki pants and a black polo shirt.

Getting dressed helped him feel better, surprisingly. It felt as though he was shedding the

previous days' layer and everything that came with it-all the tension and terror, gone.

Now he could face a brand new day…

After lacing up his shoes, he got up and peeked on the redhead.

'_And I thought I slept like a log…' _he mused.

Sneaking past the occupied couch, he wandered into the bathroom to wash up.

He felt embarrassed for worrying how he looked around Raymond, being used to just

throwing anything on and going to work. Parker ran his hand through his hair and opened

the door, surprised to see a groggy Raymond sitting up on the couch.

"Oh, you're awake." Parker smiled as Raymond tried to smooth his hair away from his

face, the fringe snapping back into its place beside his cheek.

A small grunt was the only reply the brunette received.

Parker moved out of the way as Raymond stumbled into the bathroom.

'_Well, I guess he's not much of a morning person.'_ He chuckled.

He folded up the blanket and put it away as he waited for Raymond to emerge.

The door opened and Raymond sighed as he fixed the collar of his white button up shirt.

"I hope you don't mind that I used your brush…" he mumbled regretfully.

"Not at all. Feeling better now?" Parker smiled.

"Yeah, I guess I'm not used to sleeping on a couch." Raymond snorted.

A moment of silence overcame them, Raymond placing his hand on his hip thoughtfully

while Parker shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"Thanks for staying with me on the couch, Ray." Parker finally touched the subject.

Raymond looked up from the floor and openly stared at Parker, glancing away when he

felt heat rising to his cheeks. "It's nothing.." Raymond cleared his throat.

'_So bashful…'_ Parker held back a laugh.

"Hey, want to go grab something to eat? I don't exactly have the best stocked fridge right

now." Parker smiled sheepishly.

"Sure." Raymond gave a nod, failing to hide a small smile.

"I know just the place to go for breakfast." Parker beamed.

Parker held the door open for Raymond before locking it behind him, joining the redhead

as they made their trek down the stairs.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Raymond chuckled as he saw how content Parker was now that he focused on breakfast.

The Italian looked up from his egg sandwich to see Raymond's bemused smile.

"What?" he took another bite as he watched for a reaction.

"We haven't sat down to eat in a long time, I almost forgot how…" Raymond trailed

off, failing to find the right word to describe Parker in this moment.

'…_cute.'_ He refused to voice it aloud. "How…?" Parker urged him to finish, Raymond

waving his hand to drop the subject.

Parker briefly watched Raymond eat before staring at the table in thought.

He desperately wanted to ask Raymond where he's been all this time, why he left.

But he didn't want to make it any more awkward than it already was.

Right now, everything was comfortable between them. At least they were talking.

'_There will be time for questions later.'_ Parker assured himself.

For some time, the only sounds that emitted from either man was the clinking of

silverware on their plates, unsure of what to talk about.

"So, what do you plan on doing while you're staying here?" Parker finally spoke up.

"I'm just vacationing, really. After what happened back then, it's really made me

appreciate life more, you know?" Raymond looked into Parker's eyes, cheeks turning a

light pink. "I see…so you're not very picky then?" Parker sipped his water.

"No, not at all." Raymond picked at his eggs with his fork absent-mindedly.

"Well then, in that case, maybe it would be a good idea if we went to the park today."

Parker suggested with a faint smile. "It's beautiful this time of year."

"Alright. I've got nothing else to do so it's fine." Raymond agreed.

Parker suddenly reached out to wipe away ketchup that was smeared on Raymond's

cheek, just barely touching his lips with his thumb.

Raymond froze when he felt Parker touch his face. "Ketchup.." Parker murmured.

Parker gasped when the tip of Raymond's tongue licked his thumb, lapping at the

ketchup that had gathered there. Raymond's eyes had glazed over and was watching

Parker intently, parting his lips to envelop his thumb. Parker felt the evident rush of blood

course through his legs and his heartbeat quicken from the sensual contact.

Raymond smirked when he heard a low growl emit from Parker's throat.

"O-okay, let's go to the park!" Parker removed his thumb from Raymond's mouth before

sitting up from his seat, leaving money to pay for the bill. _'Damn tease!'_

Raymond sighed before finishing his cup of coffee and trail after the Italian out the door.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Parker kept his hands shoved in his pockets as he walked stiffly.

Raymond seemed much more relaxed than he felt, which was strange considering that

little 'act' just moments ago at the café. In fact, he almost seemed _proud_ of himself…

Parker wasn't so sure if he was ready to forgive Raymond for abandoning him in Malta

two years ago, he wasn't even ready to talk about what happened or why.

He wondered why Raymond seemed so confident in flirting with him.

The sound of birds caught his attention and he remembered that they were walking in

Green Park, one of London's finest. The sun's warmth greeted Parker's skin and he could

faintly hear the sound of water in the distance.

It was so peaceful. He honestly wondered why he himself hadn't come here before…

"Have you been here before?" Raymond suddenly spoke up.

"No, and I'm starting to kick myself for not coming sooner." Parker chuckled.

Raymond smiled as he realized that Parker was starting to loosen up around him.

They seemed to lose track of time as they wandered aimlessly around the park.

Parker looked over the edge of a stone bridge as they crossed, faintly smiling as some

ducks quacked and swam below them. He felt jealous of the birds' carefree attitude…

Raymond leaned over slightly to see what Parker was watching so intently.

Parker glanced over at Raymond and felt more at ease when he saw how

relaxed the redhead's features had become, wishing he looked like that more often.

The brunette stepped away and waited, continuing the walk when Raymond stood up

from his viewing spot and walked beside him.

Parker's breath hitched when he saw a fountain sprouting from a vast lake.

He sat down on one of the wooden benches and sat back, sighing at the view.

Raymond sat down beside Parker, glancing at him curiously before staring at the lake.

"Wish there were more parks likes this…" Raymond murmured.

The lake was quiet and still, a few ducks swam by occasionally. The fountain that stood

off to the side splashed rhythmically as the two water sources joined together again.

The wind brushed through the willow trees' bountiful branches, the rustling joining the

lake's sound in an uneven tempo.

There was no one else in the area, leaving the two of them together to take in the view.

Parker didn't want to leave, he just wanted to forget about the past and stay in this

moment forever. He didn't care if he was fired or left to rot on this bench.

He was tired of fighting, it never seemed to end.

He was tired of never finding an end to it all-what was the point?

Parker glanced at Raymond and paused in his thinking.

Raymond was still staring at the view of the lake, the light reflecting in his red hair.

He looked so serene…

Raymond is a brave man, having survived Terragrigia and still had the drive to continue

fighting. It took a strong mind to push it all aside, putting everyone else's safety before

your own. Raymond always cared about people and did everything possible to help.

He must have had a reason for fighting…

But what was his own purpose, did he even have one?

"Should we keep moving?" Raymond interrupted his thoughts.

"Hm?" Parker looked at Raymond, puzzled at how he still kept such a straight face.

"It's going to get dark soon. So if we want to see more we should go now."

"Wha-? How did that happen?" Parker glanced around the immediate area and realized

that the golden hue in the sky was beginning to turn orange.

"That was fast…" Parker mumbled before standing up, realizing that he and Raymond

must have been sitting for a long time since his rear end felt numb.

Raymond stood up, wincing as his legs strained from the lack of use.

"Let's keep going then." Parker sighed as he straightened his back.

They walked along a path that was lined with tall green trees on either side of the road.

It seemed as though the path was leading the two of them together, the beginning of a

long journey-which isn't something entirely unfounded.

Parker found it strange that he and Raymond always seemed to bump into each other.

But what bothered him the most was that nearly each and every time they had crossed

paths, something unfortunate usually befell them.

Parker jumped when he felt a hand grab onto his, the grip light and uncertain.

He looked down and saw that it was Raymond's.

The hand was starting to slip away when the contact wasn't reciprocated right away, but

Parker held fast and gripped Raymond's hand tightly.

Raymond's grip in turn had tightened around Parker's with as much enthusiasm.

Now the pair walked along the tree-lined path with their hands joined together, neither

one wanting to let go. Parker was surprised at how little he cared if they were caught like

this. It was their private and intimate moment and it was a blessing after the hell they

went through in the past.

'_I'll be damned if I ever let you go again.'_

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Parker and Raymond continued up the stairs to his apartment, their hands still clasped.

With one hand, Parker tried to unlock and open the door but his hand kept trembling.

Raymond tried to pull his hand away to allow him the use of both hands to get the door

open, but Parker's grip only tightened. He shoved the door open and pulled Raymond

after him, slamming the door shut. Raymond was slammed against the closed door as

Parker seized his mouth, kissing him forcefully as his hand held onto the back of his

head. Raymond grunted in surprise as Parker explored his mouth, getting reacquainted.

The redhead grabbed onto the Italian desperately, returning the kiss feverishly.

Parker had missed being this intimate with Raymond, no longer able to contain his urges

and had literally pounced on the poor man.

The brunette latched onto Raymond's ass, squeezing both cheeks possessively.

Raymond failed to hold back a whimper as Parker groped him.

The Italian then rubbed his palm along the front of Raymond's pants roughly, grinning

when Raymond slammed his head against the door as he moaned loudly.

"Parker..!" he continued to groan, his hips bucking into the hand.

Parker groaned as he heard Raymond moan his name, missing the lovely sounds he made

while saying it shamelessly. Raymond tangled his fingers in Parker's hair as their tongues

caressed each other, panting and shuddering at the contact.

The brunette pulled away and lead Raymond towards the bedroom, pulling his shirt and

belt off in the process. Parker pushed the redhead onto the bed and crawled on top of him.

Raymond placed his hands on either side of Parker's face and brought him in for another

kiss. Parker skillfully ran his tongue along Raymond's lips before kissing him and delved

his tongue into his mouth once more, pulling away to nibble on his lower lip.

Parker got up from the bed to remove his shoes, socks and pants before helping Raymond

undress-trying his to best to keep himself from tearing everything off.

Climbing back on the bed, Parker laid down on his side and faced Raymond.

He caressed the other man's cheek before kissing him again, moving his hand down to

grasp onto his cock. Licking his lips, Parker stroked the stiff member at a slow pace.

Raymond moaned as his body slackened on the bed, bucking into the hand.

"Care to help me along?" Parker chuckled as his lover bit his lip in an attempt to remain

silent. Raymond perked up at the request and propped himself up with his elbow on the

bed, his hand reaching out to stroke Parker's length. "Oh!" Parker shuddered as he was

touched. The Italian joined their lips together in a heated kiss as they touched each other,

moaning from the combination.

Raymond continued to stroke his lover's hardened member but it was a struggle

to focus and give his full attention when Parker kept touching him. It had been far too

long since he had given himself to anyone and he felt his stomach flutter and tighten,

signaling that he was very close to climaxing. "P-Parker, I can't-!" Raymond shut his

eyes and bit his lip as he arched his back sharply.

"Ahh-! Ahh.." Raymond vaguely paid attention to a light pressure holding onto the tip of

his cock, squeezing tightly. Raymond collapsed on the bed and panted from the exertion.

"We're not done yet, cadet." Parker smiled coyly as he released his hand from the still

hardened member, sitting up to retrieve the bottle of lube from his nightstand.

"What…?" Raymond opened his eyes in disbelief and looked down to see that he hadn't

released his essence, surprised to see that it was even possible that his cock was still

aching for release. "What did you do?"

Parker uncapped the bottle and squeezed the clear gel onto his fingers.

"It's a little trick I learned some time ago…" he answered.

Raymond pouted at such a sneaky move, widening his legs for Parker to access.

Parker slowly inserted his fingers inside of Raymond, moving them in and out to

lubricate him thoroughly. The last thing he ever wanted was for his lover to feel pain.

Despite his efforts, Raymond still winced in pain and discomfort, grunting slightly.

Parker took his member into his mouth without a second thought and bobbed his head

along the shaft, smiling when Raymond began to moan.

"Parker…ohhh.." Raymond groaned as he reached his hand down to pet Parker's head

encouragingly, watching his lover lick and suck him.

'Let's see if I can't remember where that spot is…'

Raymond cried out and arched his back on the bed when Parker rubbed his fingers along

a certain spot within him, gripping the bed sheets in his fists. "Parker!"

'_Found it~'_ Parker chuckled and continued to suck on his lover, running his tongue along

the tip. "Ahhhh-!" he opened his eyes and caught Parker pinching the tip of his cock

again, preventing him from releasing. "St-stop that!" Raymond chastised him.

"I should do this more often." Parker practically giggled at Raymond's frustration.

"Parker…" Raymond growled threateningly despite the adorable blush across his face.

"Okay okay, I'm sorry." Parker waved his hands in surrender before getting up on his

knees, positioning his length before pressing into Raymond with a grunt.

Raymond reached up and grabbed onto Parker's shoulders, gazing into his blue eyes.

In that split moment, Parker froze and gazed down at Raymond's emerald eyes.

There was so much love and trust behind those spheres, something he hadn't noticed

before until tonight. Parker smiled before leaning down and kissing Raymond, grabbing

onto his hips before thrusting into him.

Raymond pushed himself off the bed so he could wrap his arms around Parker, hugging

him tightly. Parker held onto the redhead just as firmly, panting as he gained momentum.

Raymond threw his head back as Parker continued to brush against that spot over and

over, his nails digging into the Italian's back. "Ahh…hahhh! Parker…hhahh-ahh.."

Parker kissed the nape of Raymond's neck, getting sloppy when he began to feel himself

reaching his climax. Reaching between them, he stroked Raymond's member to allow

him to come first, smiling when Raymond's keening cries grew louder.

The redhead slumped against the burly man in exhaustion, breathing his name once more.

Parker laid Raymond down on the bed before grasping his hips and ramming into him,

grunting and gritting his teeth as he orgasmed. "Guhh! Gaahh…! Ray-!" his body

stiffened before dropping his head with a raspy sigh.

Parker laid down beside his lover, pulling the blankets over them before wrapping his

arms around the lithe form. Raymond snuggled closer to Parker, giving a peck on the

cheek. "I missed you…" Raymond murmured softly. "I missed you too." Parker squeezed

tighter. It was strange, it seemed as if a cork had been unplugged and everything they

ever wanted to express to each other flowed with ease.

The awkwardness had now passed and they could be as open as they wanted to be…

Parker ran his fingers through Raymond's hair, smiling when his lover's eyes grew heavy

from the gentle caresses. Part of him worried that Raymond would leave him again, he

had an awful habit of making love and disappearing.

But this time, he hoped it would be different.

"Ray, promise me that you'll stay." Parker pleaded.

Raymond's eyes opened at the sudden change in Parker's voice, his heart aching at the

sight of Parker's crestfallen eyes.

He desperately wanted to stay, he wanted to start a new life with the man.

That's all he ever wanted, all he ever hoped for…

"I promise." Raymond responded honestly, looking Parker in the eye with resolve.

Parker smiled in relief and relaxed, feeling that it was safe to close his eyes and not have

to worry that Raymond would take off again.

Raymond kissed Parker's forehead and sighed as he eased into a peaceful sleep.

He hoped to keep his promise, but he just wasn't sure of anything anymore.

He could only pray that the cards were in his favor…

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Finally, some ParkerxRaymond-I've been waiting to write it for the longest time!

I'm sure quite a few of you had anticipated this as well, I hope you enjoyed it.

I would think that if you hadn't seen your lover in a long time it would be fairly awkward

to try and relate to them the same as you used to-it takes time to readjust.

But now that the awkwardness and 'union chapter' is out of the way

the story can go full swing!

Parker and Raymond are both happy to be together again but they also worry that

something will come along and ruin it for them. Hmm…

Well, you'll just have to wait and see what happens, won't you?

On an unrelated note, I recently realized some time ago that my pen name actually stood

for something-it was completely an accident when I created it!

Crimson Flame can be translated as burning passion.

Blue Rose in Asia is actually a symbol of hope against unattainable love!

It's just funny when I think about it because I do tend to write a lot of love stories that

have to do with people falling in love with their complete opposite.

Take DavidxKevin and ParkerxRaymond as good examples.

Roses are my favorite flower, blue is my favorite color and Crimson Flame was a name I

had created for a flag football team back in high school. How bizarre…

At any rate, I hope you enjoyed and I also hope you're enjoying summer!

Lin


	6. Red Herring

Upon opening his eyes, Parker smiled at the sight before him.

Raymond still laid nestled in his arms, his fringe obscuring his closed eyes.

The brunette gently brushed the red hair away from his lover's face and held back a

chuckle as the eyelids crinkled as they were tickled.

Parker was elated that Raymond was still in bed with him, feeling a pang of guilt for

believing that the redhead would abandon him. To this day, he was still unsure why

Raymond had left him in Malta in the first place. The only reason he could come up with

was that perhaps the younger man had not been ready for a relationship.

None of that matter now…

Parker shifted in bed and glanced around the bedroom, feeling more at ease now than he

had felt in years. For the first time he got a full nights rest without nightmares, slept in

bed without the worry of being torn to pieces.

For once, he didn't feel alone…

Today, he could enjoy the sun's rays that drifted in through the window, warming the

blankets. He had forgotten that there were even _birds_ right outside his apartment.

Parker laid a kiss on Raymond's forehead and smelled the exotic mixture of his shampoo,

cologne and the aftermath of their lovemaking from the night before.

How he missed that smell…

Raymond made a small noise when Parker nuzzled his face into his neck, failing to

repress a laugh as Parker's beard tickled his skin.

"Morning, sweetheart." Parker purred as his lips traveled down the other man's shoulder.

"Morning…" Raymond drawled as he stretched his arms and legs.

Parker laid his head on Raymond's chest and smiled coyly, sighing when the redhead ran

his fingers through Parker's tussled hair.

"We're going to need a shower." Raymond sat up in bed with a grumble.

"Mmm but I don't want to get up." Parker pouted when he had to raise his head from his

lover's chest, missing the melody of his heartbeat.

"You enjoy being sticky?" Raymond smirked as he threw off the blankets and swung his

legs out and planted them on the floor. "I enjoy being _warm_." Parker smiled.

"The shower will be warm, come on." Raymond chuckled at Parker's hesitance to leave

the warm confines of the blankets, tugging on his hand. "Alright alright, I'm coming."

Parker laughed and threw off the sheets.

Raymond smiled in his little victory and walked in the direction of the bathroom, yelping

in surprise when Parker smacked his ass. _'Frisky today, aren't you?'_ he mused.

Parker chuckled when Raymond had quickened his pace and closed the bathroom door

behind him, hearing Raymond hiss sharply when the water turned on.

'_I bet that woke him up.'_ He chuckled as Raymond shivered and cursed.

"It's getting warm now." Raymond glanced at Parker and moved closer to the shower

head to make room for the Italian. Parker stepped onto the tiled floor and closed the

curtain, purring at the sight of Raymond under the spray of water.

Raymond moved out of the way of the shower's spray and bent down to grab a bottle of

shampoo, smiling when he felt Parker brush his hand along his spine.

Raymond scrubbed the handfuls of shampoo into his hair as he watched Parker tip his

head and rub at his face, spitting water that had gathered in his mouth.

"Your turn." Parker smiled and stepped aside to let Raymond rinse the shampoo from his

hair, grabbing the bar of soap and rubbing the suds along his arms and chest.

The Italian watched the shampoo wash over Raymond's pale skin and found it interesting

that Raymond preferred to wash his hair first while he liked to wash off his body.

Parker paused in lathering the soap on his legs when Raymond sunk to his knees before

him, fingers running along his muscled calves. "Ray..?"

The red haired man's fingers stopped and ran circles around a certain spot on his left leg.

Parker bent down slightly to see that Raymond was tracing the scar from the gunshot

wound he received from Jessica.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as the two men sat there under the shower and

reminisced over that fateful night, a bittersweet connection they shared.

Parker had flung himself in front of Raymond to shield him from Jessica, both relieved

that he was successful in saving Raymond and regretting the painful burden in his leg.

Remembering that night brought the pain back to his leg and Parker winced at the searing

burn he felt, balling up his fists and willing himself to remember that the wound had

healed a long time ago. The pain eased with that notion and slowly dissipated.

Raymond placed his lips over the faint circle on Parker's thigh, closing his eyes painfully

as he felt Parker pet his wet hair. _'You idiot…'_

The redhead sucked in a breath, refusing to cry in front of his lover.

Raymond still couldn't believe that his former commander had shielded him from that

traitorous, money hungry twit. Parker himself had told Raymond that he hadn't trusted

him after revealing his plot to disguise himself as Veltro to oust Morgan Lansdale. Yet,

Parker had protected Raymond, a suspicious figure with questionable loyalties, from a

bullet that would have only wounded him.

'_I guess it's safe to say what your priorities are.'_ He almost laughed.

Raymond's eyes then drifted to Parker's nether regions and grabbed onto the man's hips

before taking his cock into his mouth, bobbing his head slowly.

Parker moaned and fell back against the wall, faintly hearing the clatter of the bar of soap

as it fell from his hand. Keeping his hand on Raymond's head, Parker dipped his head

down and watched as the redhead continued to suck on him. Parker's breath came out

heavy and labored, fingers tangling in the damp strands.

"Ray.." he growled, biting his lip but failed to repress the moans.

Raymond moaned and shivered as Parker called his name in that lust-laced tone, one of

his hands moving from Parker's hip to touch himself.

Parker groaned at the sight of his drenched vixen touching himself as he licked and

sucked on his own erection, amazed at the focus the former cadet possessed.

"Mph! Mmph! Mmm!" Raymond moaned as he reached his climax, hips bucking as he

stroked himself and his head bobbing faster on Parker's length.

Parker gritted his teeth and braced himself on the wall, refraining from rudely pushing his

lover's head to move faster. Raymond pulled his face away and released a gasp of breath

as air filled his lungs, swallowing the Italian's essence.

"Scars turn you on now?" Parker asked curiously as he helped the redhead stand.

"No..I was returning the favor." Raymond responded vaguely as he wiped his mouth.

'_Returning the favor for last night or two years ago?'_ Parker let the subject drop.

Parker embraced Raymond and held him close, smiling when Raymond returned the hug.

Raymond kissed Parker along the jaw before opening his mouth and purred when Parker

slipped in his tongue. Raymond pulled away with a hiss as the water patted against his

back, a temperature lower than a few minutes ago.

"We should hurry and get out before it gets too cold." Raymond bent down and picked up

the soap and began to quickly lather his body.

Parker chuckled before bending over to grab the shampoo and ran his fingers through his

hair as Raymond hurriedly rinsed off his chilling body before practically leaping out from

under the showerhead. "Cold already?" Parker grinned as he rinsed the shampoo from

his hair and washed off a fresh layer of soap from his abdomen. "It's freezing!" Raymond

blew out a puff of air and glanced around the bathroom. "Towels are in that cabinet."

Parker called as he turned off the water. Raymond walked over to a tall, dark wood

cabinet and pulled the doors open to grab two brown towels from a shelf.

Raymond handed one towel to Parker before drying off his hair, rubbing his arms and

legs before wrapping the towel around his waist with a sigh. "Better?" Parker smiled as

he placed a hand on Raymond's cheek and brought their faces closer for another kiss.

"Much." Raymond grinned and pecked Parker on the cheek before opening the bathroom

door. "I guess I should've brought some extra clothes with me when you brought me

back from that bar." Raymond glanced at the mess of clothes on the floor. "You can wear

some of mine until we get you some more." Parker replied as he went through his closet.

Both men frowned when a little noise emitted from outside the bedroom.

"You go ahead and pick whatever you'd like to wear." Parker walked into the living

room and scoffed when it was his cell phone that had been screaming from where it sat

on his coffee table. "I forgot I left it there…" he mumbled as he picked it up.

The name Sylvia Caldwell was printed across the screen, mocking him for his

forgetfulness. Opening the flip phone, Parker raised it to his ear. "Hello?"

"WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!" a voice screamed at him.

Parker recoiled from the shock as the woman's voice yelled in his ear.

Holding it away from his ear, Parker called into the phone in an equally loud tone,

"S-Sylvia, calm down, I can't hear you woman!"

Feeling that it was safe to place the device back to his buzzing ear, Parker held it back in

place with a grimace. "Parker, I have been calling you ever since yesterday afternoon,

where have you been?" Sylvia's voice had dwindled into an irritated growl, Parker could

almost see the red on her face from how she sounded.

"A very good friend of mine had just come into town to see me. I had completely

forgotten all about the investigation, I'm so sorry Syl." Parker mentally kicked himself

for forgetting such an important and dire task. "A friend?" Sylvia's tone lit up.

"Yeah, I'll tell you about later, I'm coming into the office right now."

"If you're not here in the next half hour I'm coming over and I'll crush your testicles and

serve them to the intern from China, you hear me?!" Sylvia rasped from all her yelling.

"Y-yeah, I'll be there, I promise!" Parker hung up the phone and dropped it back on the

coffee table before running back into his bedroom to throw on some clothes.

Raymond jumped when his lover all but tore through the wardrobe to find something

suitable to wear. "What was that all about?" he asked as he fastened a few buttons on a

shirt. "My friend, Sylvia, is pissed at me for not showing up at work yesterday. I have to

get over there." Parker tugged some jeans and a green shirt from the closet, the hangers

still on them, and threw them onto the bed before grabbing a pair of socks and underwear

from the dresser and putting them on. "Sylvia?" Raymond quirked an eyebrow.

"Yeah, she's something else, I should introduce you two sometime." Parker

chuckled. Raymond could only stand, at times holding the stumbling man upright, as his

lover dressed for work.

"Alright, I'll be away for a few hours…" Parker sighed as he placed his phone and wallet

into his pockets with keys in hand. Parker paused in his rush and stared at Raymond.

"I'll stay here, don't worry." Raymond sighed as he read the expression on his face.

Parker smiled in relief and held onto Raymond before pecking him on the cheek.

"I'll be home before dark." Parker called before swinging the door shut, making

Raymond wince from the force.

'_When the hell did I become his housewife, anyway?' _

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Throwing the door open, Parker stood in the hallway with bated breath.

"Parker!" Sylvia's voice called before she ran over and embraced him.

Parker had to stand there for a moment to register that his pissed off friend, who was

threatening the end to his possible child-rearing capabilities moments ago, was now

hugging him. "Sylvia?" Parker quirked an eyebrow and placed his hands on her forearms

before gently pushing her back to see her relieved face. "You asshole, I thought the FBC

Killer had gotten to you." She sighed. "And so you threaten to castrate me?" Parker

chuckled, earning a playful swat on the arm. "Hey, there you are!" Thomas poked his

head out from his and Sylvia's shared office before jogging over to the pair.

"Still with us, I see." The blonde grinned at the disheveled man.

"Morning to you too, Thomas." Parker snorted, running a hand through his partially

damp hair. "So, what did I miss?" he sighed as he tried to switch his thoughts from

Raymond to work, albeit begrudgingly. Sadly, his stomach had other priorities.

A low rumble emitted from the brunette's midsection, Sylvia repressing a laugh.

"Well, maybe we should grab something to eat and we'll tell you all about it."

Parker's eyes widened briefly when he realized that Raymond would be left all

alone without food. Unless of course you can call a quarter of a carton of possibly

spoiled milk, a loaf of bread and bananas _breakfast_. Raymond was going to be _so_ pissed

at him when he got home, this he knew.

He could give Raymond a call-but oh wait, the phone at his apartment is still broken from

that night of binge drinking when he was told to take a day off.

Great, no food and no working phone.

A pissed off Sylvia was one thing, but a glare from Raymond was something else.

Parker hoped that Raymond would make do until he could find the time to get away.

"Hey, Parker, what's wrong with you?" Sylvia noticed the worried look on Parker's face.

"Hm? Oh…my friend is staying with me and I forgot to stock the fridge." Parker sighed

as he walked back out the door with the pair. "I'm sure they'll be fine." Thomas

chuckled. "This is different…." Parker frowned as they walked towards the café.

"Who is this 'friend' of yours, anyway?" Sylvia opened the door for the two men and sat

down at a table, hand holding her chin as she waited for an answer.

"We used to work together in the FBC, I hadn't seen him for a long time. Then he

decided to surprise me the other day so we've taken this time to catch up." Parker smiled

fondly as he took a sip of his coffee. "Another FBC agent, here, isn't that too much of a

coincidence?" Sylvia leaned back in her chair as she sipped at her water.

"I thought so too, but I guess there are just some things that happen for a reason." Parker

sighed when he took a bite from his sandwich, feeling a twinge of guilt at the thought of

Raymond sitting at home. He honestly wondered how this was all going to work out.

Raymond was traveling for reasons unknown and he was here working for the BSAA.

Would it be possible that Raymond would stay around here? For how long?

"Parker? Are you sure you're alright?" Sylvia interrupted his thoughts.

"Huh? Sorry, what did you two yesterday while I was away?" Parker fumbled with

his words, earning a strange look from the pair.

"Well, Thomas and I checked out the university and couldn't really get anything out of

Richard and Brad's teachers. They said that they were good students, but had to be

expelled for the experimental drugs that Richard tried to pass on to his neighbor."

"They wouldn't give you what they had confiscated from them?" Parker paused in his

eating. "No, they actually denied having confiscated anything.." Sylvia frowned.

"They said the boys were troubled and made up stories so other students would find them

interesting." Thomas added as he ate his scrambled eggs. "What about their families, do

they know anything?" Parker took another sip of his coffee, taking a napkin to dab at his

neck when the water from his shower dribbled from his hair.

"The only family Richard had was his mother, we don't know of any other family he had.

And Brad's family is in New Zealand, they have no idea what's been going on." Sylvia

sighed sadly as she bit into her bagel. "Did you tell them..?" Parker asked in a hushed

tone. "I didn't have the heart to tell them the truth. All I said was that he and his friend

were involved in an accident."

"Alright then…Today, let's check out the local gun shops and maybe see if any of the

residents near Rourke saw anything." Parker wiped his hands with a napkin.

"But Moore said that the locals hadn't seen much of anything, except the fire." Sylvia

cocked her head to the side curiously. "Yeah, he only talked to the ones that were present.

But we should try to talk to everyone near the beach, it couldn't hurt." Parker shrugged.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

The bell chimed as the Italian walked into the shop, smiling politely at the few customers

that were present. Parker was impressed with the selection of guns that hung on the walls,

wondering if some of them were even legal.

"Hey there, what can I do for you?" an elderly man in black slacks and a gray sweater

stood and greeted the burly man from his place at the register.

"Hello, I'm with the BSAA and I was wondering if you had sold guns to these two boys."

Parker held up two photos that Sylvia and Thomas had taken from the boys' apartment,

one was of Richard with his mother and the other was of Brad with what was assumed to

be his siblings. The elder man, whose name was written on the nametag as Jon, pulled

out a pair of red framed eyeglasses and took a closer look at the photographs.

"I think I remember seeing this one," Jon pointed at the picture of Brad "Because I

remember how polite he was. But he and his two friends seemed really skittish, can't say

I blame them when I run a business like this." Jon chuckled.

"You didn't see this boy?" Parker pointed to Richard, Jon shook his head.

"I don't remember seeing him, just this one and a few others. I think I might still have the

security tapes, but it'll take some time to go through them." Jon looked up at Parker.

"Okay, how many guns did they buy from you?" Parker placed the pictures back into his

coat pocket. "Who did you say you worked for again? I can't just give this information

out to just anyone." Jon looked at Parker's ID badge when his wallet was taken out.

"I work for the BSAA, we deal with terrorists." Parker replied solemnly.

"Terrorists?" Jon's eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Well, in that case, I think I remember giving them three M92F's and five boxes of 9mm

bullets." Jon rubbed his chin as he tried his best to remember.

"That's all they bought? This case I'm working on involved ten youngsters." Parker

quirked an eyebrow at such a low amount of artillery.

"That's all I can remember at the top of my head, I'm afraid I'm going to have to look

back at the tapes and see what else they bought and who else was with them." Jon replied

sadly. "I do know that they paid in cash, quite a hefty amount for such young boys."

"Oh, do you carry 50 caliber Desert Eagles?" Parker suddenly remembered the magnum

that was mentioned by the coroner. "I don't carry Desert Eagles, son, almost every gun

shop in Britain won't go much higher than the MP5SF's. Believe me, I like to run a clean

shop." Jon nodded. Parker frowned at the aspect that he was running out of leads.

"Alright, that helps, thanks. Here's my card, call me if you find the security tapes?"

Parker handed a white card that contained his name and work phone number, Jon taking

it and examining it before giving a nod. "I'll get right on it, shouldn't take too long."

Parker smiled gratefully and left the shop, taking out his phone and calling Sylvia.

"Brad and some friends of his were here, but I can't know for sure until the owner gives

me the security footage. How are you and Thomas doing?"

"It looks like Brad and Richard split the difference. Richard and a couple more guys

came to the Beaver Range to get a couple of M92F's and some knives." Sylvia replied.

"These kids really weren't prepared for what they were trying to unleash.." Parker closed

his eyes with a sigh. "Were you able to identify the ones that were with Richard?" Parker

asked hopefully. "Just one kid. His name was Tory Hawke, he was a regular at the shop."

"I'm guessing he was the weapons specialist for the group." He snorted.

"Maybe, but Thomas and I are going to see if we can't find his apartment."

"Okay, I'll go check around Rourke and see if anything's changed." Parker sighed at the

thought of a long car ride and probably wouldn't find anything remotely useful.

"Alright, be careful out there." Sylvia warned.

"I will, and I'll call you back in the next hour to check in." Parker reassured her before

hanging up and getting into his car.

Starting up the engine and driving towards the coast was a little boring, but it sure beat

having to do the more 'exciting' work he used to do back in the field.

He didn't envy those agents-which was the majority of them-that still went out to fight

against bioterrorists and more of the virus-infused populace.

Looking out his window, Parker saw that the factory was still roped off with yellow tape.

He remembered that the area had been approved of being void of 'chemical waste' as the

BSAA had the townspeople believe, but they were still discouraged from going inside the

ruins until it was completely removed. The eyesore would be gone and it would just be

another beach, which would be better for the property and bring in more tourists.

Parker stopped his car on the side of the road and got out, figuring that he would walk

along this stretch of road and all the houses that occupied it.

Thankfully he had picked a day that all the nearby residents had decided to stay inside,

easily asking each and every one of them if they had seen anything out of the ordinary.

Unfortunately, the story was almost the same with all of them.

Someone would hear a loud bang, some would see the flames or black smoke, some

hadn't seen or heard a thing until a bunch of sirens came racing in.

He had honestly thought about calling it quits after asking all…twelve?

Had he really been talking to _twelve_ different people in neighborhood?

And not a single one of them saw anything?

"What the hell ever happened to that…neighborhood watch crap?" Parker shook his head

as his feet began to ache, feeling that maybe Sylvia and Thomas got the better deal since

they would only need to check for a birth certificate and find out where an apartment

was. He, on the other hand, was checking a _whole_ neighborhood…

Finally at the last house on the street, Parker knocked on the door and waited.

"Yes?" A young woman with black hair tied in a ponytail opened the door, looking

nervous at the sheer size of Parker, despite wearing a coat to hide all the muscle.

"Hello, I'm with the BSAA" Parker held out his badge for the umpteenth time today

"we are…like the police. I was wondering if you remember seeing or hearing anything

strange a few nights ago?" Parker put his badge back into his pocket.

"Could you be more specific?" she opened the door a bit wider, feeling that it was safe to

talk to him. "Tuesday the 16th, there was a fire at the old factory down there." Parker

pointed to the factory that sat silently near the waves of the ocean.

"Oh, you mean that place? I remember hearing a little bit about it on the news." She

nodded. "Can you remember anything from that morning? Maybe the night before?"

Parker placed his hand on his hip and shifted his weight.

"I do remember that morning, all the cars and the news crew…" she bit her lip as she

thought back to the incident. "I thought it was bizarre that so much was happening, this is

a small neighborhood and no one comes to this beach very often." Parker nodded and

urged her to continue. "Now that I think about it…I was trying to sleep the night before

and I heard some strange sounds, like banging or something." Parker quirked an eyebrow

at this. "Banging…like gunshots?"

"Maybe, but there are all kinds of strange things that used to go on in that place, mostly

kids throwing rocks at the sheet metal or knocking crates over. But what made me get up

in the night was the sound of a car, it drove out of here like a bat out of hell." She

frowned. "Damn bastard nearly gave me a migraine." She grumbled.

"Did you see who got into the car or what it looked like?" Parker got out a notebook and

started to write down all that she had reported to him.

"Oh, it was so dark that night, it was about 4:30 in the morning, I remember that because

I had work the next day. The car..it could've been blue or black, it was a dark color.

I didn't get to see who was inside it, but I know that it was the only car there that night."

"There was only one car?" Parker paused in his writing.

How could there only be one car for ten students?

"Was it a truck or a van, maybe?"

"No, it's a small car, kind of like mine." She nodded her head at a white Sudan in the

driveway. "Do you think you could come down to our offices and see a sketch artist?"

Parker put his notebook away and took out another business card.

"Sure, but I don't know how much help I could be.." She replied sadly.

"Trust me, every little bit helps." Parker smiled and handed her his card.

"Come down to the office whenever you can, and you can reach me at that number in

case you remember anything." "Sure, I will. Sorry I couldn't be of more help."

"It's fine, don't worry. Have a nice day." Parker walked down the steps and towards his

car, pausing as he looked at the beach. _'It wouldn't hurt to look whilst I'm still here..'_

Parker ducked under the yellow tape and down the path he had gone down with Moore,

Thomas and Sylvia just a few days ago.

There was no way to tell just how many people had been in the area because there were

far too many footprints in the sand, both from BSAA agents, police and the students

themselves. But the woman had been right about one thing, there was only one set of tire

tracks on the ground. Parker could only assume that maybe the majority of them had

taken a bus and walked on foot the rest of the way. But then that would leave them

without an escape should the authorities come around…

Considering that Richard had cleared out almost his entire checking account to pay for

those virus samples signified that he hadn't had a clear thinking process.

The fact that they bought a bunch of handguns, practically useless against BOWs, meant

that they didn't have a well thought out plan either.

So then why was there only one car?

There was still that one person who had a 50 caliber Desert Eagle that he needed to find.

Each of the students and monsters had a single bullet lodged in their skulls.

Whoever managed to get head shots with a 50 caliber magnum had to have skills and

experience, qualities that he doubted any of the those kids possessed.

Which could only mean that there was someone else involved, but who?

Could it have been the person who sold them the virus?

That would make sense since they would have wanted to cover their tracks for selling a

dangerous viral weapon to a group of college students.

So, the next step would be to try and find out who the seller was and catch him.

Parker frowned as it dawned on him that he would need to find a live witness who knew

the seller's name, something that was becoming less and less likely.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Parker hesitantly opened the door to his apartment and smelled something strange.

Was there food cooking?

"Raymond?" he called. "In the kitchen." Raymond called back.

Parker quirked an eyebrow as he locked the door behind him.

Walking around the corner and into the small kitchen, he came upon a sight that he

thought he would never see. Raymond standing in front of an oven.

The Italian wrapped his arms around Raymond's waist, nuzzling his face into the nape of

his lover's neck. "I didn't know you could cook.." he mused.

A soft sound escaped the redhead's throat in retort as he continued to stir what looked to

be some kind of stew. "I had to learn how to cook when I left home for the FBC, I know

enough to get by." Raymond placed the spoon down on a plate and bit back a laugh when

he took in Parker's appearance. "You look tired." He stated simply.

"And you look..different." Parker saw the change of clothes Raymond was wearing,

different from the ones he had lent him this morning. "I went to my hotel room to grab

some things, and I got some groceries too." Raymond quirked an eyebrow accusingly at

the brunette. "I'm really sorry about that." Parker smiled sheepishly.

"It's fine, I needed to get my bearings around this city anyway." Raymond pecked Parker

on the cheek. "It's almost ready, go hang up your coat and relax."

Parker smiled as he walked back to the front door and hung his leather jacket on the coat

hanger, cursing when he knocked Raymond's trench coat off.

Bending over, Parker picked up the coat and paused when a gold plated lighter fell out of

one of the pockets. _'A lighter? I don't remember Raymond ever smoking…'_

Placing the coat on the hook, Parker bent down to pick up the lighter.

It seemed in good condition but there were no special markings on it.

It was strange, but he thought nothing of it as he placed it into one of the coat pockets.

But while his hand was still in that pocket, he felt that there was something inside of it.

It was flat and wide…

Pulling it out, Parker saw that it was Raymond's passport.

The urge was too strong to pass up as he looked back at the kitchen before slowly pulling

back the blue cover, seeing a flurry of stamps all over the pages.

Raymond had been telling the truth when he said he was doing quite a bit of traveling.

It hadn't surprised Parker that there were a couple of American stamps on the passport,

Washington, D.C. being a bit of a surprise. But there was a stamp to and from Paris that

seemed a bit odd to him. All the other American stamp dates were from

months ago, Paris and Washington were the most recent by being just two weeks apart.

So, Raymond has only been traveling recently?

Then there was the stamp for London, which was dated just five days ago…

'_Raymond, what have you been up to?'_

"Parker, are you alright?" Raymond's voice called to him, surprising Parker and causing

him to roughly shove the passport back into the pocket. "I'm coming!"

Parker saw that Raymond was already seated at the table.

The dinner itself was a pleasing sight to tired eyes.

Raymond had made the beef stew and there was also a plate of rolls, which looked

delicious enough but a little overcooked. A sidelong glance revealed a packaged bundt

cake on the counter, dessert he had assumed.

"Thank you for making dinner, Raymond, I would have called you and asked if you

wanted me to get something but there was an incident with the phone a few days ago…"

Parker chuckled as he vaguely recalled knocking the landline phone off the nightstand.

"It's fine, I went and got a new one." Raymond replied as he ate the beef and cooked

vegetables from his bowl. "You got a new phone?" Parker asked incredulously as he sat

down at the table, picking up a fork. "I had a lot of time on my hands." Raymond

chuckled. "I _tried_ to cook dinner, replaced the phone, changed the bed sheets, and tossed

our clothes into the laundry." Raymond took a roll from the plate and dipped it into the

stew before taking a bite. Parker smiled fondly at Raymond for helping him clean up his

apartment accordingly, despite being a guest and all the social mores that came with it.

"I'm impressed." Parker purred as he continued to eat the stew.

"With dinner?" Raymond smiled at the sight of the easily satisfied Italian.

"Everything." Parker answered as he shoveled more stew into his mouth.

"You're my guest, and I'm supposed to be taking care of _you_, not the other way around."

Parker almost laughed at the role reversal, taking a roll and spreading some butter on it.

"I…care about you." Raymond struggled to find a better way to describe his feelings.

"I care about you and I want to take care of you." Raymond took a sip of his water.

"That doesn't make me a housewife!" he pointed his fork at his lover, making the other

man burst out in laughter. "D-Don't worry, I wouldn't consider you as one." Parker

wiped at his eye and cleared his throat after the laughter died down.

"Ray, do you smoke?" Parker looked up from his bowl to Raymond who sat just in front

of him across the little table they shared. Raymond seemed confused to the question.

"I knocked down your coat by mistake when I tried to hang up mine, a lighter fell out."

Parker poked at a chunk of beef awkwardly. "I used to smoke, but I decided to give it up.

I guess I forgot to throw out that lighter." Raymond shrugged his shoulders with a meek

smile. Parker knew that wasn't possible because Raymond would have needed to go

through a metal detector and airport security. Which meant that either Raymond had gone

through a lot of trouble to keep that lighter or he just bought one when he came to

Britain. Either way, Raymond was lying, and they both knew that.

Which now made Parker wonder what else he had been lying about…

But why should he care about what little habits Raymond had?

Everyone had their own vice and not very many of them were proud of it.

Parker decided to just let it go because he was exhausted and frustrated with the case, he

didn't want to busy himself with none sense.

Raymond was here with him, right now, and that's what mattered.

"You can move all your things here if you want, you don't have to be wasting money on

that hotel room." Parker smiled warmly at the other man. "I hadn't thought about that, I

didn't want to clutter your apartment with my junk." Raymond smiled gratefully.

"I want you to stay, Ray, I insist." Parker murmured.

"Well…alright, I can bring everything here tomorrow, if that's alright with you."

Raymond took another sip of water. Parker smiled and placed his hand over Raymond's,

their fingers interlacing. This is exactly what Parker had wanted. Raymond had finally

come back to him and he seemed ready to start a relationship, at least he hoped so.

For now, they could experiment for a few days while Raymond stayed in London and

they could see how everything went.

Parker helped Raymond wash dishes, it was the least he could do since Raymond had

already done so much.

Parker stumbled into the table, Raymond quickly grabbing

onto him and steadying him. "Sorry, I did a lot of walking today." Parker smiled tiredly,

Raymond rolling his eyes at his lover for overexerting himself. "Come on, let's get to

bed." Raymond wrapped Parker's arm around his shoulders and helped him into the

bedroom. Parker plopped himself down on the bed and took off his shoes and socks.

Raymond removed Parker's shirt and helped with his pants, leaving the Italian in his

boxer briefs. Parker crawled along the bed and got under the covers with a sigh.

After turning off all the lights, Raymond locked the bedroom door behind him and got

undressed before joining the brunette in bed.

After clicking the lamp off on the nightstand, Raymond cuddled closer to Parker.

Parker chuckled as Raymond hugged him, wrapping an arm around him and kissing his

head. "Goodnight, Ray." He whispered as he closed his eyes.

"'Night, Parker…" Raymond sighed in content.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

I managed to churn out another chapter this week, huzzah!

Everyday, yes everyday, I always think about the next chapter or many chapters ahead of

the current one I'm supposed to be working on-when I should really be sitting down and

actually writing them. I like where the series is going so far, I still feel like it could go a

different direction than where I'm driving it but I don't want it to get too dark.

I really do sometimes envy the writers on here that can stomach stories that are full of

angst and just make me want to rip my hair out because it's so depressing.

But I know that a good story is a well-written one that draws out people's emotions…

So, if I can make people happy or cry, then I guess I'm doing it right.

I have a strict chapter limit for this one, because I don't want to get lazy with it.

There are thirteen chapters planned out, don't know if the number will decrease, and each

chapter is about fifteen to twenty pages long. I don't want a chapter to be five or six

pages long because then it would draw the series out and it would instead be about forty

chapters long. So, in the long run, I hope that by doing this I'm saving you time!

I'll try to write another chapter or two next week, but the coming weeks are going to be

busy for me because I have some doctor's appointments and an anime convention is

coming up in September-so I will be away for a little while.

At any rate, I hope you enjoyed this addition to the series~

Lin


	7. A New Lead

Parker cracked one eye open and inwardly cringed when he saw the morning sun outside,

nuzzling his face closer to Raymond's cheek. In turn, the redhead shifted with a sigh.

"Don't go…" Raymond mumbled. "I wish I didn't have to, but…" Parker sighed miserably as he

glanced at the clock on the nightstand. "Can you at least stay for breakfast?"

"I'm already a half hour late, if I stay longer Sylvia will skin me alive." Parker chuckled as he

stretched his arms above his head, smiling at Raymond as he laid curled up against him.

"Not much progress is being made on the case so I doubt I'll need to stay very long."

"You're going to get your things from your hotel room, right?" Parker sat up and put his feet on

the floor, getting the gumption to stand up when it was so easy to crawl back into bed.

Raymond opened his eyes at the question, peering up at the brunette.

"Yeah, if that's still alright with you." Raymond smiled softly when Parker tussled his hair.

"Of course it's okay, I want you here with me." Parker smiled with a wink.

"Go back to sleep, I'll call if anything changes." Parker patted his lover's blanketed form.

Raymond mumbled incoherently as he pulled the covers over his head to block out the sun.

The Italian slid the closet doors open and grabbed beige slacks with a black polo shirt, easily

pulling them on over his boxer briefs. Pausing at the bedroom door, Parker turned and walked

back towards the bed and pulled the covers back to kiss the redhead. Raymond chuckled as he

placed his hands on either side of Parker's bearded face and returned the affection.

With a coy smirk, the Italian placed the blankets back before leaving the room.

After grabbing his phone, wallet and keys, he caught sight of a package of muffins and took one

before leaving the apartment.

'_Blueberry, nice choice Ray…'_ he mused with a happy grin.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

"'Morning, Sylvia." Parker smiled tiredly as he greeted the perkier woman.

"Good morning, Parker." Sylvia smiled back, sipping at her coffee.

"Any progress with the case?" Parker sighed as he sat back in a chair next to her desk, noticing

that Thomas wasn't present. "Not really. Thomas and I plan on going to Tory Hawke's

apartment today." The braided brunette sighed. "Ah, there might be a witness coming in at some

point. She said that she saw a car the night the factory caught fire, she'll need to see the sketch

artist.." Parker snapped his fingers as he remembered. "Really?" she perked up at the news.

"She didn't get a very good look at it but it's better than nothing." Parker waved his fingers

lazily. "I haven't gotten word from Jon, the gun shop owner, either. I have no idea when I'm

getting those security tapes, if at all." Parker sat up his seat to cross his legs and clasp his hands.

"If we can just find out whose car that was we might be able to find a bigger lead in all this…"

Parker's mind began to drift, thinking of what he could possibly do next but came up with

nothing. It really was beginning to frustrate him to no end.

"Sylvia, do you know if anyone is working on the FBC Killer case?" Parker suddenly looked up

from his hands to his colleague. "Mm? No, I don't think anyone has been bothering with it much.

This whole mess with Rourke has taken up everyone's time." She placed her foam cup down

before clasping her chin in her hand. "…I think I'll take that one over."

"No progress has been made with this case, yet the FBC Killer is still out there somewhere.

If no one else is taking care of it then it might as well be me. It's personal now." Parker frowned.

"I see…" Sylvia looked down at her hands thoughtfully. "Well, it wouldn't hurt to look into it."

"You and Thomas can continue without me, for now, while I work on this." Parker nodded.

"Fine with me. But…just don't lose yourself in it, okay?" she leaned forward with a look of

worry, earning a reassuring smile from the Italian. "Don't worry, Syl, I'll be fine."

Parker stood up and began walking out the door, pausing before turning to face the brunette.

"Oh, and keep an eye on Thomas, I think this is starting to get to him and I worry for him."

Sylvia smiled, albeit a sad one, before nodding.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

After obtaining Jessica and Morgan's case files from Director Moore, Parker sat down at his

desk and slowly flipped through the written reports. He had to force himself to not look at the

photographs of the crime scene, cringing with disgust at his colleague's gory demise.

He started by reading through Jessica's, wanting to get through the most gruesome of the two.

_Name: Jessica Sherawat_

_Gender: Female_

_Date of Birth: July 24th 1979_

_Place of Birth: Dubai, India_

_Victim died from a gunshot to the head at point blank range. A .50 Caliber bullet was found _

_lodged in the skull, unable to tell what brand it is. Body has decomposed within two weeks time. _

_Time of death is estimated around the 30th and sometime around 4PM. _

_Stomach contents contained traces of fruit; presumably ingredients for an herbal beverage._

_Foreign DNA Findings:_

_Blood: Negative_

_Hair: Negative_

_Saliva: Negative_

Sweat: NegativeSkin Cells: Negative

_Toxicology Results:_

_Sedatives: Negative_

_Toxins: Negative_

Opioids: Negative

Since sedatives and toxins were not needed to incapacitate Jessica, Parker assumed that she had

known her killer and felt comfortable enough to be in the same room as them.

But now he wondered just who was accompanying her at the time, considering that she's a spy.

It did surprise him that there was no DNA found on her, which could only mean that the killer

was very careful to not touch her during the attack.

He then turned his attention to the crime scene report.

_Ms. Sherawat's apartment shows no signs of forced entry. However, the door was not locked _

_save for the doorknob. The windows were shut and locked as well. Nothing appears to be broken _

_but a few drawers and boxes here and there have been left open, leaving us to believe that some _

_sentimental items have been stolen. A glass, with traces of herbal tea, was found shattered on the _

_floor near the body on the sofa. No fingerprints have been found on any given surface save for _

_Ms. Sherawat's. We have failed to find any foreign DNA in the apartment._

_We attempted to take a shoe cast from the foot impressions left on the floors but could not get a _

_decent copy due to all the shaggy carpeting in the apartment._

Parker definitely believed that Jessica knew her killer since the apartment hadn't been broken

into, meaning that she had let them in. Yet, some missing personal belongings of hers could

mean that the killer had invited themselves in and killed her

but tried to make it look like a burglary…

Since no DNA was found-yet-in the apartment, they may have cleaned up after themselves or

had somehow avoided leaving traces of hair fibers and skin cells on the carpeting.

Also, since there was only one glass accounted for, this 'guest' hadn't planned on staying very

long and probably didn't accept any offerings of food or drink.

So, this killer came along with a plan and wasn't afraid to put it in motion.

Parker made a mental note to try and contact the local police in France and see if they had made

any progress since the file was sent to the BSAA.

He then moved on to Morgan's case file.

_Name: Morgan Lansdale_

_Gender: Male_

_Date of Birth: October 8th 1952_

_Place of Birth: Queens, New York_

_Victim died of arsenic poisoning; was found along with the stomach contents that include bread, _

_turkey and coffee. The stomach contents match the menu from the federal prison in D.C: _

_Turkey sandwich and coffee; although the victim had not yet eaten the mashed potatoes._

_It is presumed that Mr. Lansdale had been poisoned when arsenic was slipped into his food._

_The muscles underwent premature rigor mortis due to the toxin and resulting pain._

_The exact amount of arsenic is uncertain._

_The body had been discovered a mere few hours after death on the 10th sometime around 2PM._

_Attempts at resuscitation (both CPR and having the stomach pumped) failed._

_No traces of foreign DNA have been found on the victim._

Parker threw his cup of coffee into the trash, unable to stomach it after reading the coroner's

report. He realized that Morgan's death was much more recent, almost a week ago.

This was also a high-risk murder since the former Commissioner was being held in a federal

prison and the guards were on alert for any suspicious activity-or so he would like to assume.

It was…unreal, to say the least, that someone could slip through prison security and was bold

enough to slip poison into one of the inmates' food and _then_ slip out unnoticed.

Parker eagerly began to read the crime scene report but was surprised at how little was divulged.

_Prisoner #95789410, Morgan Lansdale._

_The prisoner's cell itself was in pristine shape, untouched._

_Mr. Lansdale was found dead in his cell, curled up on his bed and the tray on the floor._

_It is assumed that he ate whatever was served to him and then succumbed to the poison, hidden _

_either in the coffee or the sandwich since those were the only items that were consumed._

_The cafeteria staff confirms that Mr. Lansdale's meal was brought to him on time around 11AM._

_The staff also said that the man who took the tray of food seemed a bit different than the usual _

_guard who takes the meal to the prisoner, but they didn't question him since he wore the _

_uniform. The guard who normally takes the scheduled meals to Mr. Lansdale is Officer Krudup; _

_he claims that sometime that day he had been attacked and was tied up in a supply closet without _

_his uniform. We are now assuming that an intruder has gotten past security and posed as a _

_fellow guard to gain easy access to Mr. Lansdale. _

_No one in that cellblock claims to have heard or seen anything out of the ordinary._

Parker now had something to go on, not much, but at least he knew it was possibly one person.

The killer worked alone, possibly, and is male. They somehow knew their way around the

prison and was able to slip past security and pose as a guard. that was no easy feat.

But what filled him with hope was the fact that nearly everyone in the prison had seen this man.

If the staff and guards saw him, then most certainly the security footage caught sight of him too.

Parker picked up the phone and dialed for the police in France, deciding to ask for the security

tapes from Jessica's apartment first.

"Bonjour, la police?" a young voice spoke to Parker in French.

"Hello, eh..do you speak English?" Parker smiled bashfully.

"Ah, yes, yes! What can we do for you?" the man's thick accent drawled leisurely.

"My name is Parker Luciani and I work with the BSAA, Bioterrorism Security Assessment

Alliance. You sent my boss the case file for Jessica Sherawat." Parker absent-mindedly pulled

the file closer in case he needed to use it as a reference. "Ahh, yes. I remember that case, very

tragic, the woman was so young and beautiful." The voice took on a sad tone in respect.

"Well, she was a co-worker of mine and I wanted to know if you recovered the security tapes

from her apartment, do you have them?"

"Oh, so sorry for your loss…We do and we've been looking through them for some time and

have asked the tenants to look at them but no one can identify the killer. We're at a standstill."

"I see. Well, can you possibly send them to me so I can view them?" Parker asked, trying to hide

the reluctance in his voice. Part of him really didn't want to see those tapes because…

Well, there wasn't really a good excuse for him to not watch them, it just seemed wrong.

Yes, he will admit it, he hated that woman after what happened on The Queen Zenobia.

He almost made himself believe that she deserved whatever came her way.

But this, this may have been too much, it wasn't fair.

Despite her betrayal, despite his hatred for her, and even though she may have deserved it…

On some level, she was still a human being and she still deserves justice.

He now wondered if he would receive good karma by finding her killer.

It would be the one good thing that came from ever meeting that-

"Sir, are you still there?" the man asked out of concern.

"Ah, yes I'm here, sorry." Parker apologized.

"I was saying that you may have the tapes since you knew her and you're an official agent.

However, we're not comfortable sending you our findings via the internet, too risky.

We are willing to mail you the tapes and evidence we've collected so far, if that is alright."

"Well, alright, that sounds fair." Parker took a pen and wrote scribbled a quick note.

"We'll send everything straight away, but it may take a day or so…" the officer replied

regretfully. "It's alright, I understand, go ahead and send it when you can."

"Very well, I hope you find what you're looking for, Mr. Luciani."

"Thank you, officer." Parker hung up the phone and rubbed his face.

Wanting to get the last phone call out of the way, Parker dialed for Washington.

"Hello, Washington Federal Penitentiary." An older man's voice asked.

"Hello, my name is Parker Luciani of the BSAA-Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance-you

sent us the case file for one of your prisoners, Morgan Lansdale." Parker asked patiently.

"Oh, hello, I do recall sending out the file to your agency.."

"I was wondering if any progress has been made in his death, he used to be my boss." Parker

stuck his tongue in his cheek after speaking, hating the sound of his former boss's name.

"Afraid not, we're still looking through tapes and talking to witnesses."

"Would it be possible if I could view copies of those tapes?" he requested.

"Tell me your current boss's name?" the officer asked guardedly.

"Brandon Moore of the BSAA London branch." Parker replied, picking up a pencil and fiddling

with it as he waited for a response. "Ah, I recognize that name, alright then. We'll send copies of

the security tapes to your office but uh…you may have to wait awhile."

"That's okay, I have time." Parker chuckled. "Alright, we'll send them out then."

"Oh, and could you give me the number for one of your officers? Officer…" Parker ran his

finger through the case file and found the name. "Officer Krudup? I'd like to talk to him."

"Joel? Sure, you can talk to him. But be gentle with him, he's not too happy with himself after

what happened." The elder officer chuckled at his hapless officer's situation.

"Of course, I can understand how he feels."

After taking Officer Krudup's phone number, he hung up before glancing at the clock.

"Son of a bitch…" Parker sighed with exhaustion once he realized that it was almost 11PM.

The Italian had decided to call it a day and pick up where he left off tomorrow.

To say that he was relieved of the break would be an understatement.

Dropping the case files into his bottom desk drawer and locking it, Parker got up from his chair

with a groan and felt his back pop in certain places. _'Time to go home…'_ he thought gratefully.

For once, he was actually more than happy to go home before 11PM now that he had something

to go home to. He now wondered what Raymond had been up to all this time without him…

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Parker locked the door behind him and placed his coat on the coat hanger before dragging

himself towards the couch, dropping onto it with a pained sigh.

"Parker?" Raymond's voice called before the redhead walked in, leaning against the doorway

leading to the bedroom. Taking in the Italian's condition made the former cadet feel exhausted

himself. The man didn't look disheveled but his eyes were heavy and seemed to have lost their

familiar gleam, worrying the redhead. "Are you alright?" Raymond walked over until he stood

behind Parker and slowly kneaded his hands along his lover's shoulders.

"Mmm…." Parker bowed his head as Raymond continued to rub the sore areas on his back.

"I…worked on Jessica and Morgan's cases for a change." Raymond's movements ceased as he

leaned forward. "You're looking into their murders?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Don't ask me why_, I_ don't even know why I'm doing it…" Parker mumbled.

Raymond continued to massage Parker's back, his fingers digging into his lower back.

Parker winced and hissed as he felt his lover's digits rubbing along his tender muscles.

Parker perked up when he felt Raymond playfully tug on his ear with his teeth.

"I think I may have to sleep in a little late tomorrow, I don't care if I'm given hell for it…"

"I wouldn't mind keeping you as a hostage." Raymond smirked, earning a laugh from the Italian.

Parker leaned his head back so he could kiss Raymond, petting his hair.

"That feels much better, love, thank you." Parker smiled gratefully.

"Are you hungry?" Raymond leaned over slightly. "Yeah, a little bit…"

"You go ahead and grab something while I get the bed ready." Raymond patted Parker on the

shoulder and walked back into the bedroom, hearing Parker sigh as he got back up.

As he peeled the covers away from the mattress, Raymond did a double take when he saw an

acoustic guitar leaning up against the wall.

"Parker?" he called as he walked towards the Italian.

"Mmm?" Parker hummed as he ate a sandwich, trying to block out the days' events.

"Do you play guitar?" Raymond quirked an eyebrow at the brunette.

"Oh, that guitar? I haven't played it in years.." Parker chuckled.

"…Will you play for me?" Raymond asked sheepishly as he averted his eyes.

Parker froze when his lover asked him to play a song for him.

He knew that he hadn't played on that old thing since he last left Italy, bringing it with him

where ever he went no matter if he used it or not. "You really want me to?" Parker chuckled in

amusement at the bashful look on the redhead's face before finishing his drink.

Raymond's lips quirked up in a coy smile before he disappeared back into the room to retrieve

the instrument, gently carrying it and handing it to Parker before sitting on the couch beside him.

Parker sat up straight as he got reacquainted with his well-loved guitar, checking to make sure it

was properly tuned as he strummed the strings and twisted the knobs at the neck.

"I wrote a song for you, actually, but I've never actually sung it out loud before…" Parker

smiled in embarrassment at the confession. Raymond's features briefly changed from curious to

surprised before giving his lover a fond look. "I hope it's alright that I sing in Italian, I'm not

used to singing in English yet." Parker tested a few strings nervously.

"Whatever you're comfortable with." Raymond reassured him as he sat back against the couch.

Parker let out a breath as he gathered his thoughts, licking his lips nervously as his muse sat

beside him. With a relaxed sigh he began to strum on the strings before singing in a soft, melodic

tone as the words finally took refuge in the vessel that was his voice.

_Ascolta la mia dolce... {Listen my sweet...}_

_Il mio cuore soffre per battere al volstro fianco, palpitante come lei svanire._

_{My heart aches to beat alongside you, quivering as you fade.}_

_Per favore, resta con me ancora un po'. {Please, stay with me a little longer.}_

_Attendo il tuo ritorno come contare i giorni fino rompo. _

_{I await your return as I count the days until I break.}_

_Si rifiuta di farmi cadere e vi ringrazio per la vostra determiazione._

_{You refuse to let me fall and I thank you for your resolve.}_

_Amore mio, ti sento piangere sotto la shell si chiama forza, io sono qui..._

_{My love, I hear you crying beneath the shell you call strength, I'm here...}_

_Tutto andra bene, te lo prometto. {Everything will be alright, I promise you.}_

Raymond couldn't understand the words but he somehow felt a connection to them.

Leaning his head against Parker's shoulder, he closed his eyes and listened to his deep voice as it

confessed his innermost feelings towards him in that lustrous accent.

As cheesy as it may have seemed, Raymond truly did adore the song Parker wrote for him.

He desperately wanted to know what the words meant…

They held so much power, so much meaning and emotion and all of it was only to be shared

between the two of them. Yet, he also envied Parker's ability to convey his emotions without

fear of repercussion, one of the few traits he failed to fully comprehend and utilize.

This, of all times, was the one moment where he wished he could profess himself to this man.

Even though the music had now stopped, it lingered in the air like a memory.

Raymond felt the guitar's notes and Parker's voice echo in his ears and he felt shivers along his

spine the more he recalled it, nuzzling his face into Parker's neck.

"That's all I have, for now, but maybe I can add more to it…" Parker smiled fondly as his lover

clung to him, placing a kiss on his forehead. Raymond smiled and kissed the brunette deeply on

the lips, allowing the other man to slip his tongue into his mouth and blushed at the contact.

"I liked it.." Raymond murmured softly, reveling the feel of Parker's hand at the back of his

head. "I'm glad." Parker gave another peck on the redhead's lips before setting the guitar down.

"Let's get to bed, I'm exhausted." Parker struggled to stand up as his legs were still stiff from

sitting down at work for so long. Raymond held Parker close and walked with him as they made

their way to the bedroom, flopping onto it unceremoniously.

Raymond made sure all the lights were off and the doors were locked before getting

undressed and slipping back into bed, cuddling closer to Parker.

"I hope you can finish the song one day.." he mumbled, his heart fluttering when Parker smiled.

"My beautiful muse is here, it'll be completed someday." Parker chuckled when Raymond

blushed a deep red despite his eyebrows knitting together in mock annoyance.

Parker held Raymond close, thankful that he can find sanctuary in his lover.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Finally, Parker gets down to business and tries to figure out what happened to

Lansdale and Jessica-about time, I know!

For the longest time I've always loved Parker's voice and I think he could be a fairly good singer

if he wanted to be, so I wrote these original song lyrics specifically for this story~

Some of you might be wondering if Parker will ever finish the song and there's a _big_ maybe in

the future, but I'll save that until the end. It won't be too long now since there's only about seven

chapters left for this series, I'm hoping that I can finish it before Christmas but I can't be sure.

Parker and Raymond are becoming increasingly close and my heart throbs whenever I write

about them, it actually hurts to make these horrible things happen to them in the story…

September is going to be a really busy month for me but I'll definitely try to get two or three

more chapters in before October, I hope.

Lin


	8. Smoke & Mirrors

The room was dimly lit as pale blue light crept in from underneath the curtains, causing

Parker to instinctively turn over in bed to glance at the clock. _'Screw it…'_ he thought

groggily. He had never been much of a morning person, only getting up in the morning

out of habit to avoid memories from the past. But now, so much has changed.

Being in bed with his lover helped him feel more relaxed, which then helped him sleep

better at night. But the consequence for getting a good night's rest is not wanting to get

up for work, wanting nothing more than to sleep in and forget about the day's

obligations. Everything could wait for another hour or two, right?

"You're awake.." he heard Raymond mumble.

"Yeah…" he sighed, brushing back the redhead's fringe away from his right eye.

"But I'm staying right here. I'm sure it can wait a bit longer." Parker closed his eyes and

relished the warmth his eyelids brought, smiling when Raymond pressed his lips against

his own. "Go back to sleep, Parker…"

The brunette chuckled softly and nuzzled his face in Raymond's neck, enjoying the

warmth they shared. For the first time, he didn't mind being a little late…

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

When Parker awoke, he was surprised that Raymond was no longer in his arms.

Whipping his head around to glance at the clock once again-11:30-he released a breath at

the realization that he had slept an extra four and half hours. Part of him felt guilty that he

had not gone to work as usual, but part of him was also grateful.

The bed was so warm, enticing him to remain within the cushioned cocoon.

Grabbing onto Raymond's pillow, Parker held it against his chest and breathed in the

lingering scent of shampoo and cologne.

Raymond always smelled nice…

Footsteps that approached the bed caught Parker's attention, opening his eyes and peering

up. "Ah, there you are." He grinned at the absent redhead.

"Missed me?" Raymond chuckled at the endearing sight of the Italian hugging a pillow.

"Of course." Parker finally sat up in bed, blankets still wrapped around his body, leaning

over the edge to peck his lover on the lips. "Time to come out of hibernation, come on."

Raymond ran a hand through Parker's tussled hair. "I made us breakfast."

"Wear nothing but an apron, then we'll talk."

Raymond scoffed at the poor attempt to strike up a deal, smiling none the less.

"Pancakes." He stated simply, unable to hide the smirk when Parker grinned

suggestively. "Maybe we can arrange something for later, but right now we need to eat."

"Can I eat them off you?" Parker asked hopefully.

"No."

"But-"

"No, now come on."

Parker chuckled and relented, throwing off the covers. "Alright, alright, you win." He

sighed sadly at the thought of leaving his warm bed, but his stomach gurgled painfully in

protest. "Don't I always?" Raymond laughed. "Don't get cocky, cadet." Parker smacked

Raymond's rear end before wandering into the bathroom for a shower.

Raymond snorted at the nickname and walked back towards the kitchen.

grabbing two plates, Raymond set them down on the table before retrieving two glasses.

After placing forks, knives, syrup and butter on the table, he grabbed the plate of

pancakes and set them down in the center.

He had felt bad for Parker after seeing how exhausted he was a couple hours earlier,

taking it upon himself to encourage the Italian to sleep in late. However unprofessional it

may have been, it wouldn't have been right to allow the other man to stumble into work.

Raymond had always admired Parker's commitment to his job.

He had tried to model his own demeanor after his commander during their days in the

FBC, back when it stood for something, back when people cared.

It felt like such a long time ago…

Raymond jumped when Parker had wrapped his arms around his waist, nuzzling his

bearded face against his neck and kissed him. The redhead smiled and ran his fingers

through the brunette's freshly washed hair.

"Smells good." Parker smiled before releasing the other man.

"Good, I was worried they had burned." Raymond smiled before turning to retrieve some

juice. "You didn't have to cook, Raymond. We could've gone to the café." Parker took a

spatula to place three mid-sized pancakes onto his plate before drizzling syrup on them.

"It's fine, really." Raymond reassured his lover as he poured them both glasses of orange

juice before setting it down on the table and taking his seat.

Parker started shoveling the pancakes into his mouth after taking the first bite,

appreciating the light buttery after taste.

Raymond smiled as the Italian reveled in his cooking, taking a bite.

"You like them, huh?" Parker paused in his eating and saw Raymond's amusement.

"They're delicious, Ray, you never cease to amaze me." He smiled warmly.

"I guess I should cook more often, then." He took a sip of his orange juice.

"It's nice to eat here with just the two of us." Parker mused before taking another bite,

blinking in surprise when he felt Raymond touching his hand.

Parker smiled as he squeezed Raymond's hand, enjoying the contact as their hands

remained linked as they sat across from each other.

Raymond chanced a glance at Parker's blue eyes before lowering his gaze back down to

his plate, heat rising to his cheeks when he felt his lover's gaze on him.

"Ray, I'm glad you're here." Parker spoke softly. "Me too.."

Leaning forward over the small table, Parker touched their foreheads together.

Raymond's pulse quickened as he stared directly into Parker's eyes.

When their lips met, the image of Raymond bent over the counter covered in syrup came

to mind, causing the Italian to moan. Parker licked a trail along Raymond's lips as the

redhead panted feverishly. "There might be time…" Raymond suggested softly.

"At this point I don't care if I go in at all…" Parker growled possessively.

Raymond grabbed onto the front of Parker's shirt and deepened the kiss.

A sudden knock at the door broke the silence, forcing the men to part.

"The hell…?" Raymond frowned at the door.

"Mario, what the hell are you doing?" A voice called from the other side.

"It's Sylvia, one of my co-workers." Parker sighed as he stood up from the table.

Raymond leaned back against his chair while crossing his arms as he inwardly cursed.

Parker opened the door and barely got a word out when Sylvia pushed passed him and

glanced around the apartment. "Is something going on? You're never six hours late to

work, usually." Sylvia shoved her hands into her pockets.

"Good morning, Sylvia. Or should I say afternoon?" Parker chuckled.

"I was working late last night so I slept in today, I'm sorry if I worried you."

Sylvia quirked an eyebrow accusingly at the Italian, Parker putting his hands in the air in

mock surrender with an embarrassed laugh. "Since you're here, would you like to eat

breakfast with us?" Parker smiled and walked back towards the table.

"Breakfast here? Since when?" Sylvia mused with a smile. "Oh." Sylvia paused when she

spotted a red haired man sitting at the table, sipping a glass of orange juice.

"Sylvia, this is Raymond, we used to work together in the FBC." Parker introduced the

two of them, glancing between the two of them as they stared at each other.

Sylvia's features switched from surprised to curious while Raymond's went from neutral

to annoyed. "Oh, so this is the friend you've told us about, huh?" Sylvia smiled.

"Yeah, he came into town for a visit and he's staying with me." Parker pulled back a

chair to invite the woman to sit down with them. "That so?" she glanced at Parker as he

went to grab another plate and glass for her. Sylvia took in the sight of Raymond,

noticing that he still looked rather young to be a part of the now disbanded organization.

His vibrant red hair is what stood out the most, his sharp green eyes coming

second. There was just something strange about the young man but she couldn't put her

finger on it. But one thing was for certain, he appeared to have a hardened demeanor.

It made her wonder just how the two men ever became friends.

Raymond continued to lean against the back of his chair, staring at Sylvia.

Her bubbly personality grated on him, even though he had only just met her.

He knew that Parker was very friendly and made many friends due to his openness.

Parker is a bubbly man himself at times, but Raymond always favored his sarcastic side.

But this Sylvia woman had migraine written all over her, from his perspective at least.

The redhead honestly never thought that they could get along.

The first reason being that she interrupted their intimate moment, the second being

that she waltzed into Parker's apartment without permission.

But on the plus side, she wasn't as aggravating as Jessica was with her flirty ways.

Maybe it was safe to say that he just despised women in general…

Parker refilled his glass of juice as he watched Raymond and Sylvia stare at each other.

The two of them studied each other so intently. He was almost worried that it would

come to blows, especially since Raymond didn't appear all that happy ever since their

kiss had been broken up. Honestly, it was like trying to integrate two cats in his home and

neither one knew who was the true alpha.

"So, Raymond, do you like staying here in London?" Sylvia finally spoke up.

"It's nice, not a fan of the fish and chips though." Raymond replied.

Parker inwardly winced at Raymond's snide comment, continuing to drink his juice.

"I see…" Sylvia seemed taken aback from the remark, chewing it over.

"Were you and Parker partners?" she asked.

"You could say that." Raymond's lips broke into a smirk.

Parker choked on his juice at the underlying message, shooting Raymond an exasperated

look. Raymond simply smiled at his lover.

Well, it was apparent that Raymond believed he was alpha.

"Are you partners with him?" Raymond sat up in his chair.

"No, I chose to work alone." Parker answered for Sylvia, taking both of them by surprise.

A look of realization crossed Raymond's face and he sat back in his seat.

'Parker couldn't bring himself to take up another partner after what happened with

_Jessica, huh?'_ he thought regretfully.

Parker finished eating his pancakes, wanting to get Sylvia out and away from Raymond

as quickly as possible. "How long do you plan on staying?" Sylvia took a few bites of her

serving of pancakes, looking at Raymond curiously. "Is it any of your business?"

Raymond bit back rather harshly. "Have you always been an ass?"

"Have you always looked like one?"

"Okay, you two, that's enough." Parker chuckled before standing from the table.

Parker placed his and Sylvia's plates in the sink before slipping on his coat and opening

the door for the brunette. "Oh, I forgot my keys." Parker stopped himself from leaving

before walking into his bedroom to retrieve them from yesterday's pair of pants.

"I'll wait for you in the lobby downstairs." Sylvia called. "Alright."

When Parker came back into the living room he briefly heard the pair's snippy exchange

of choice words, unsure if he should be annoyed or laughing.

"Wanker…" Sylvia hissed in a hushed tone before closing the door.

"Bitch." Raymond muttered bitterly.

"You two, I swear…" Parker sighed as he checked his pockets to make sure he had

everything before leaving. Raymond crossed his arms defensively, the frown deeply

engraved in his features. "Don't frown, Ray, it's bad for your complexion." Parker smiled

before wrapping his arms around his lover and kissed him, squeezing his ass.

Raymond nibbled on Parker's neck before pecking him on the lips one final time.

"I'll be back later, alright?" Parker winked.

"Don't stay too late.." Raymond mumbled.

The Italian closed the door and hurried down the stairs to catch up with Sylvia, not

wanting to make her wait too long. "That's your friend, huh?" Sylvia asked pointedly

with a grin. "He can be difficult to get along with at first, but he's a good man." Parker

chuckled. "He's an ass." She retorted while opening the lobby door leading outside.

"He was a pain in the ass rookie, but he's changed since then."

"What happened to your neck?" Sylvia stopped and touched Parker's neck.

"What?" Parker arched an eyebrow curiously. "There's a bruise here." Sylvia took her

hand away. It took Parker a moment to realize that Raymond had left a love bite when

they had said their good byes. _'Well, it seems the cadet has a possessive side…'_

"Oh, it's probably nothing. Don't worry about it."

"Alright, then." Sylvia took a long look at Parker to make sure he was alright before

turning on her heel and walking down the street towards headquarters.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Parker opened the door for Sylvia, waiting until she slipped past him before closing it

behind him. "Parker, are you sure you're alright?" she suddenly spoke up.

"Yeah, why?" Parker glanced at her as they walked down the hallway together.

"It's just you've been acting a little differently lately, I'm a little worried." Sylvia briefly

glanced at the Italian. "This case has become personal, that's probably it." He sighed.

"I can understand that, it involves your co-workers." Sylvia nodded.

"But also, I haven't seen Raymond in a long time, I've missed him…"

"I don't know how you can miss someone like that, he was so rude!" Sylvia scoffed as

she thought about the redhead. "He seems to really get under your skin." Parker raised an

eyebrow at her reaction. Sylvia looked at the floor as they continued to walk, keeping

silent. "Thomas and I missed you at breakfast." She mumbled.

"Ah, I see now, you two miss me." Parker smiled at the shorter woman.

"Well, we're a team, we're always together." She huffed, brushing her bangs away from

her face. "How sweet.." Parker chuckled.

He found it rather adorable that Sylvia had become so jealous of him being with

Raymond. The hickey on his neck was an obvious enough sign that Raymond had

become possessive of his lover upon meeting Sylvia.

It was so intriguing how people changed when they became jealous…

At the same time, it was a little sad. Raymond, Thomas and Sylvia were all important to

him and he did hope that they could try to get along.

"Sylvia, what if all four of us went out for lunch sometime?" Parker offered.

"You're kidding, right?" Sylvia looked at the burly man incredulously.

"Just a suggestion.." Parker rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Hey, where have you two been?" Thomas jogged over and walked alongside Parker.

"I had to go and pick him up." Sylvia rolled her eyes. "She didn't pick me up, I slept in

late and I was eating breakfast with a close friend of mine." Parker corrected her.

"….Yeah, she came and got you." Thomas agreed with his partner, grinning widely.

Parker grumbled in embarrassment before changing the subject.

"Did you find out anything new?" he asked as he rubbed at his eye.

"We got those security tapes from the gun shop and got stills of everyone that was with

Richard that day. We plan to show the pictures to the students at the college, maybe we

can finally identify someone and get some answers." Sylvia took out her phone to check

all the memos she had written for herself. "Also, Moore wants to talk to you about

something." "Alright, I'll check with him. Anything else?" Parker quirked an eyebrow as

he tried to think of a reason why Director Moore would want to see him.

"That woman you talked to came in and saw the sketch artist for that car that left the

factory the night of the fire. We have a good idea of what the car looks like but since she

did not get a look at the license plates we're not able to tell who it belongs to." Thomas

added, grabbing a cup of coffee once they neared the break room.

"We can try to ask around the campus and see if anyone remembers seeing a car that fits

the description." Sylvia gratefully accepted a cup of coffee from the blonde.

"Well, that's something." Parker rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Anything going on from your end?" Thomas sipped from his coffee, sitting on the edge

of a counter leisurely. "It's slow.." Parker sighed. "Listen, I'm going to talk with Moore

and see what he wants to tell me and I'll get started."

"Are you going to be alright doing this by yourself?" Sylvia looked at the Italian

worriedly. "It's paperwork and phone calls, mostly, nothing to worry about." Parker

chuckled before walking out of the break room.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Parker knocked on Director Moore's door, feeling curious yet nervous as to what his

boss could want with him. "Come in." Moore's voice called from the other side.

"Sylvia said you wanted to see me?" the Italian poked his head into the room.

"Yes, the police near Jessica's apartment and the prison in Washington called me to say

that they have mailed those security tapes, they should be here soon." Moore folded his

hands on top of his desk as he looked back at the agent.

"That was fast. I thought that it would take them at least a week to get clearance.."

"I'm a bit surprised myself, but I'm guessing it shows that they're at a loss of what to

do when they have so little evidence to go on." Moore shook his head sadly.

"Alright, well, I'll review those tapes once they arrive." Parker nodded before closing the

door, making his way to his desk and sitting down.

With a pained sigh, he fished out Morgan and Jessica's case files from the bottom

drawer. After everything he had witnessed while working to prevent bioterrorism, there

were still some things he couldn't stomach. But these crime scene photos, they featured

humans that had been viciously murdered by another.

It was an everyday occurrence, one that struck a chord in Parker more than fighting

monsters in the field. Monsters were creatures that were birthed from viruses, organisms

that were planned and constructed by scientists-people who led lives, had families, yet

never comprehended the serious dangers as a consequence for their greed and curiosity.

Monsters never had a conscience or felt guilt, but humans do.

Parker could never begin to understand why some people in the world find it so easy to

kill without a second thought, even more so if they felt justified.

Morgan and Jessica were not killed by Hunters or things that resembled that Rachael

woman, but by another person-a fellow human being who should have known better yet

chose to kill for their own gain.

Setting the files down, he got up to grab a cup of coffee.

It was going to be a long day…

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Parker breathed in the crisp night air as he left the building, thankful to finally get out of

there and head home. He had stayed and looked through those files for hours, scribbling

key notes as a reference. It was uncertain if he had discovered anything new, but any little

detail was better than nothing at all.

He wanted to go home and spend quality time with Raymond.

That moment during breakfast had really riled him up and he wished that he could've

acted on his feelings, cursing Sylvia for interrupting them.

But maybe now would be the perfect opportunity.

The brunette realized that he was becoming hungry as well, wondering if his lover had

chosen anything to cook for dinner. Although he did feel a twinge of guilt for having

Raymond do all the cooking even though he was more than capable of preparing a meal.

Parker stops after turning a corner and spots who he had thought was Raymond.

Was it Raymond or was he imagining it?

No, that was definitely the same black, knee-length trench coat that he wore.

Not to mention the fiery hair…

It was Raymond, but what was he doing outside at this time of night?

"Raymond?" Parker called out to the tall figure across the street.

Either it wasn't Raymond or he hadn't heard him call, continuing his stroll.

Parker followed the other man, quickening his pace to try and catch up.

The wind blew in his direction, smelling Raymond's cologne as it wafted in the breeze.

"Raymond, wait!" Parker tried to call again, slipping past people along the road.

The redhead moved so fast. He had the advantage of long legs and a crowd of people.

Parker saw Raymond turn a corner and jogged over to see that he had gone through an

alley, jogging along the cobblestone path and narrowly missing overturned garbage bins.

So many questions ran through Parker's mind, his anxiety escalating.

Finally, he had reached the other end of the alleyway.

Empty.

The entire path he had just ran through had been completely devoid of other people.

How did he manage to lose Raymond?

Why didn't he wait for him? Where was he going? What if something happened…?

Since he didn't have his cell phone number, if he even had one on him, he couldn't call

him. There was nothing else he could do than go home and wait. _'Damn it…'_

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Parker sighed in exhaustion after closing the door, relieved to be home.

The lights were all off, surprisingly.

Turning on the lights for the living room, Parker set the bag of tacos down on the kitchen

table. "Ray, are you home?" he called, saddened when he received no reply.

He sat down at the table and ate, feeling uneasy with the emptiness of the apartment.

It was too quiet. He had forgotten how daunting it seemed when he was alone at night.

He hoped that Raymond would come home soon.

After eating his fill and waiting for two hours, Parker felt tired to the point that he felt

sick. His body hurt, he felt tired and nauseous, not a good combination.

As if all that wasn't enough, he had become paranoid.

The Italian began to worry that something would jump out and kill him, a fear that he had

been blissfully forgetful of for some time now ever since Raymond came to town.

He was worried about his lover. He didn't know why Raymond was out there by himself

so late at night and he worried that something may have happened to him.

What if he never came back…?

He didn't want to think about it.

Parker sat up from the couch and walked into the bedroom, locking the door behind him.

He didn't mind leaving all the lights on, it made him feel better and he wanted to do it out

of courtesy for when Raymond came back so he didn't trip.

Tugging off his clothes and dropping them onto the floor, he crawled into bed and

nuzzled his face in Raymond's pillow. He felt so alone, it frightened him to no end.

Having the lamp on the nightstand helped though, relishing the warm glow.

'Just go to sleep, everything will be fine in the morning. Raymond will come back…'

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Jessica was sitting on the burgundy colored couch in her apartment, drinking a glass of

herbal tea. She was smiling. It was that same smug smile from before.

He hated that smile, he hated her.

"I'm sorry, Parker…"

Those words echoed and hung in the air, but this time he didn't feel a pain in his leg.

'You bitch…'

He felt the fury build up in his body, his veins throbbing and his pulse quickening.

Traitor.

She was nothing but a traitor, possibly a killer too. Parker could never forgive her for her

lies, the bullet she put in his leg, attempting to kill Raymond twice and siding with

Morgan and protected him every step of the way.

"Why would you do this, Jessica? Why?" Parker demanded.

The young woman only laughed in his presence. That condescending laugh that had once

been one of joy and showed a different side to her, the Jessica he used to know.

This laugh was so hollow, so unlike her.

But it certainly suited this version of her, the true Jessica.

"You lying bitch, I _trusted_ you! We _all_ trusted you!" Parker continued to shout at her.

"I thought we were partners, friends! You threw it all away, everything. All your training,

your time, your effort, your relationships and everything the FBC stood for.

And for what? What did Morgan have to offer that the BSAA and your 'friends' didn't?

How could you just walk away like that with a clean conscience?"

Jessica actually had the gall to dip her head back and continue to laugh.

'You think this is funny?'

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" he asked sadly.

The more he heard that laugh the more he wanted to smack her.

He wanted to hit her so badly, make her scream and cry.

Make her feel just as much pain that he felt the past two years and then some.

She _deserved_ it too.

"To think that I actually felt sorry for you…"

No matter how much he wanted to hit her, he just couldn't.

He couldn't move his muscles at all.

"YOU DESERVE TO DIE!" he yelled at her with all his might until his voice cracked.

Parker jumped in surprise when a loud bang shattered the silence of the room.

Jessica threw her head back against the couch as the bullet pierced her skull, blood and

skull fragments spattering across the couch and mixed with her chocolate colored hair.

His body shook. He didn't know why he was shaking so horribly.

Jessica's skin paled to a sickening, waxy white color as her lifeless eyes looked back at

him accusingly. The room was silent, so uncomfortably silent.

He was the only one in the room now and he wished someone else was with him.

No, he didn't want this. He didn't mean it, he didn't want her to die!

He opened his mouth to apologize, but nothing above a squeak passed his lips.

Her eyes, they were so big with fear.

He didn't do this, it wasn't his fault. It wasn't his fault!

Finally, he was able to form words with his tongue and tried to speak.

"Jess…." He swallowed a lump in his throat and tried again.

"Jess…i…ca…"

"Jessica."

Jessica's mouth suddenly dropped open and she released a shrill scream that made his

heart pound at an immeasurable speed. His ears hurt, he covered them but the noise had

infiltrated his mind and refused to blocked out.

The noise would never leave him, and neither would she.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Parker woke with a start and panted heavily, realizing that he wasn't in the room

anymore. He was home, in his warm bed.

His skin and boxer shorts were soaked with sweat, his heart beating rapidly.

His body ached, it felt as though he had been pinned down by a rock.

The scream had died off but his ears still burned.

Every time he closed his eyes he would see her lying on that sofa, eyes staring into

nothingness for eternity. He didn't want to close his eyes anymore.

If he could, he would just cut off his eyelids.

His surroundings were quiet save for a few passing cars outside, the room illuminated by

the lamp's comforting light.

Raymond still wasn't beside him.

Where the hell was he…?

Why was this happening to him? Why?

What did he ever do to deserve these nightmares?

Glancing at the clock he had realized that he only slept for two hours.

It was still dark outside, he still needed to rest for work tomorrow.

But he didn't want to sleep anymore.

Parker was still on high alert after waking, the old childhood fears were coming back.

The closet, the bed, the window, the door…which would be the chosen entrance for the

things that go bump in the night?

He had no choice.

Either he tried to go back to sleep or he would remain awake with this unbearable

paranoia that plagued him, neither option being better than the other.

The Italian rearranged the blankets so that they covered him properly before latching onto

Raymond's pillow for security.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

The next morning, Parker woke up and felt a little more at ease.

There was blue light underneath the curtains, announcing the safety of daylight.

Even though he didn't feel afraid anymore, it still felt uncomfortable.

Something in his arms stirred.

Raymond was in bed with him, cuddling closely to his body.

Parker released a breath of relief when he realized that it wasn't Jessica.

Tightening his arms around the redhead, Parker kept his lover close and kissed his

forehead.

"Good morning…" Raymond mumbled with a tired smile.

"'Morning.." Parker replied softly, causing the other man to look at him with concern.

"Parker, are you alright?" Raymond ran a hand through Parker's matted hair.

The brunette didn't feel up to talking, only wanting to hold the redhead.

Raymond was taken aback by Parker's lack of optimism, hugging him tighter when the

burly man held him close. In the middle of the night, he had come home to find all the

lights on and the bedroom door locked. Taking the option to pick the lock instead of

breaking it down or calling the police, he found Parker in a tangled mess, drenched in

sweat and shivering. After undressing, getting into bed to cuddle and a few light touches

on his body, the man had settled down.

Raymond had been certain that Parker was having nightmares again, but for a moment he

had actually wondered if he had gotten sick.

Parker wasn't sure if he wanted to get up for work. Then again, he wasn't sure if he

wanted to leave the bed at all. He didn't want to sleep, but being awake was a hassle too.

"I'll go make us breakfast, okay?" Raymond sat up only to be squeezed in Parker's arms.

"Don't go, please…" he murmured.

Raymond laid his head down and remained at his lover's side, running his hand along the

Italian's bare hip comfortingly. "It's alright, I'm here."

'What the hell happened last night…?'

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Parker stared at the table as he ate his waffles half-heartedly.

He felt himself chew his food and he could taste it, but he didn't feel happy.

After staying in bed another two hours, cuddling a restless redhead, he took a shower

before getting dressed and now sat at the table eating a late breakfast.

He wasn't afraid, the nightmare becoming a blurry memory, but he felt somewhat numb.

He didn't want to be alone, he certainly didn't want to be without Raymond.

Raymond even asked Parker if he wanted to take the day off to rest but it wouldn't have

done much good. How can a person rest when it was the root of the problem?

"Do you want to talk about it, Parker?" Raymond took a sip of his coffee as he watched

Parker nibble on his homemade waffles.

"I don't want to remember…" he mumbled.

The Italian still felt tired and his eyes hurt.

"Where were you last night, Ray?" Parker finally looked up to his lover.

"I was out for a walk, I admit that I was out for too long, I'm sorry." Raymond touched

Parker's hand, smiling softly when Parker brushed his thumb along the soft skin.

"Don't stay out late like that again." Parker rubbed his face with a groan.

"I should go, I don't think I'll stay for long though…" Parker sighed before getting up

from his seat. Raymond held onto Parker before pecking him on the lips.

"Just…be careful, don't be hard on yourself." Raymond caressed his lover's cheek.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Parker opened the door to headquarters, wincing when it squeaked.

His ears were far too sensitive for his liking today…

"Parker..?" Sylvia walked over to him as he made his way to his desk, grabbing a cup of

coffee in the process. "'Morning, Syl…" Parker mumbled before taking a sip.

"Are you alright?" she asked as she touched his forehead, checking for a fever.

"I didn't get much sleep last night, but I didn't want to stay home." He sighed after taking

in his dose of caffeine, feeling a bit perkier now.

"Was that bastard talking your ear off?" she joked about Raymond.

'_actually, that's your job..'_ he mused to himself.

"No, I just had..awful dreams. I need something to distract me."

"You sure you want to be here? I'm sure Brandon would understand if you wanted to rest

today." She looked at him worriedly, causing Parker to force a smile in reassurance.

"I'll be alright, Sylvia, I'll just do a bit here and there and see what happens…"

Parker continued to sip his coffee as he walked to his desk, sitting down with a sigh.

Since he hadn't found anything new in all the hours he spent last night looking through

Morgan and Jessica's files, he decided to try and find out who would want them dead in

the first place. It also wouldn't hurt to find out if other former FBC members have been

affected. The only people he could think of was Veltro, and they were _certainly_ dead this

time around. It seemed too much of a coincidence that both Jessica and Morgan were

murdered, so they were connected somehow.

Unable to think of any suspects, he decided to make a few phone calls.

Parker dialed Chris first, he might have been more clued in to what's happening.

"Redfield." The masculine voice spoke on the other end. "Chris, it's Parker."

"Parker? How have you been?" Chris' voice took on a friendlier tone as he spoke to a

former American branch agent. "I'm alright. I was just calling to ask if you knew of any

former FBC members that have, eh…gotten into any trouble recently."

"What kind of trouble?" Chris pushed for more clarity to the question.

"I don't know if you know already, but…Morgan and Jessica have been killed. I think

someone is killing former FBC members." Parker relayed the news as gently as possible.

"They're dead?" Chris grew silent as it started to sink in.

"I hadn't heard…I've been busy lately." Chris spoke solemnly.

"Well, from what I know I haven't heard of anyone else that has been attacked."

"Well, that's good to hear, no one else has been hurt." Parker felt a bit of relief

hearing that. "You could try talking to O'Brian, he knows more than I do." Chris offered.

"Oh, he's still around?" Parker raised an eyebrow. "No, he retired…but he knows where

most of the members transferred to."

"Alright, I'll give him a call, thanks."

"Sure thing."

"Oh, and Chris? How's Jill?"

"….Jill, uh…." Chris trailed off, unsure of how to break it to the other man.

"Jill has been missing these past two years, after a mission went sour." Chris spoke with a

hardened tone, but Parker could tell that Chris was deeply saddened.

"I'm so sorry, Chris, I didn't know." Parker rubbed his head and closed his eyes.

Jill Valentine.

His former partner and an amazingly strong, courageous woman.

She's been missing, for a very long time. Was she even alive?

"Parker, if you really think that this guy is killing off FBC members…be careful."

"You too." Parker smiled sadly.

Parker hung up the phone and ran a hand through his hair with a sigh.

He had never realized how out of the loop he had been when it came to BSAA gossip,

feeling guilty for not being there to support Chris for his loss.

'_Are we all cursed…?'_ he thought miserably.

Rather than sit and fester, Parker picks up the phone again to try calling

O'Brian. It had been a long time since he had spoken to his former boss, feeling

inadequate ever since the mission on The Queen Zenobia.

O'Brian and Raymond had concocted the scheme of bringing Veltro back from the dead,

fooling so many agents into risking their necks for a wild goose chase-just to get

incriminating evidence against Morgan Lansdale.

Remembering this fact, Parker's grip on the receiver tightened.

"Hello?"

Parker's mind blanked for a moment in surprise now that the elder man had answered,

fumbling for something to say. "O-O'Brian, sir, It's Parker Luciani."

"Parker? Well, it's been some time since I heard word from you. How have you been?"

O'Brian chuckled. "Yes…it has. Uh, I was just calling to ask if you knew anything about

the former FBC members." Parker held his chin in his hand as he spoke.

"The FBC? Why?" O'Brian sounded taken aback.

"You know that Morgan and Jessica have been killed, don't you?" Parker raised an

eyebrow at the other man's confusion. Surely O'Brian was up to speed with everything

that has been going on, he was old friends with Morgan after all.

"Oh…Yes, I've heard. It's…It's unfortunate." O'Brian chose his words carefully out of

respect, despite both Morgan and Jessica not having the cleanest of hands.

"I don't think it was a coincidence, I think they're connected somehow." Parker leaned

back in his chair, trying to get comfortable.

"I don't know of anyone who would want them dead, honestly." O'Brian added.

"I just want to know if the members are safe." Parker rubbed his forehead, preparing to

hear the worst._ 'Who is next? How did they die..?'_

"No one."

"What?" Parker opened his eyes at the surprising answer.

"To my knowledge, no one else has been attacked." O'Brian answered, Parker sighing in

relief. "So…it's an isolated incident?" Parker thought aloud to himself.

"I think you might be right to believe that they're connected. Morgan had been in prison

all this time and Jessica had been off on her own, someone knew about them and wanted

them dead-for whatever reason." Parker heard some background noise on the other

end, sounded like glass clinking. Was O'Brian drinking?

"Well, it's good to know that everyone else is okay. But it doesn't really give me a

lead for this case…" Parker frowned. "You're looking into their murders?"

"The BSAA has jurisdiction on Morgan and Jessica's deaths, I'm allowed to look into

them. Besides, it's rather personal…" Parker averted his eyes even though he was the

only one in the room. "I see…I hope that you find the answers you're looking for."

O'Brian's spoke sympathetically. "Thank you, for telling me."

"And Parker? Don't be a stranger, now." O'Brian chuckled at the Italian.

"I'll keep in touch." Parker smiled fondly.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

He was in a room with gray walls, a cot nailed to the wall and a toilet being the only

furniture. Morgan sat on the cot, wearing a white jumpsuit with a tray on his lap.

Parker realized that he was standing in Morgan's prison cell, watching him eat.

This man, old and graying, was his boss.

Parker always remembered Morgan Lansdale as being an educated and polite man.

For the longest time, he truly believed that Morgan had the best intentions and did

everything in his power to keep innocent people alive.

It was a lie.

Everything about this man was a lie, a façade to trick others into letting him stay in power

in the FBC and retain control over its operations.

Anyone could believe that an old man had become so wise, peaceful and harmless

through his life experiences-having nothing left to lose.

But Parker had learned that Morgan was a cold, calculating bastard.

This man used his agents like toys, when one was broken he could simply replace it.

Parker could never forgive this man for sending his people on a suicide mission to

retrieve Norman's PDA, a small and insignificant device that held the truth.

The truth itself was so subtle.

The deal that Morgan made with Norman looked so simple and impersonal.

"Do you not realize how much damage you've caused?" Parker broke the silence.

"Do you know how many lives you helped Norman destroy in Terragrigia? So many

people died back there, and whoever managed to survive will never forget it."

Morgan looked up from his cup of coffee, a chilling smirk forming on his lips.

It was the very same smirk that was seen on the PDA footage, Parker remembered

smashing his fist through the screen after Jill showed it to him.

That smirk revealed the feeling of success that Morgan felt when he traded those

T-Abyss virus samples to a terrorist. He knew what those samples were capable of and he

knew that people would suffer and die-yet he gave it away to be used.

"You may not have infected all those people with the virus, but you gave it to

someone and told them how to use it. How can you live with yourself?" Parker frowned.

Morgan simply stared at the Italian as he slowly raised the mug to his lips, sipping the

black coffee. "When you signed in as Commissioner, you vowed to help people."

Parker clenched his fists. He may have not been comfortable hitting an old man, but he

would just love to make an exception for this one.

Those agents had lives of their own, they had friends and families-people who loved

them and still wanted them in their lives. He had to be the one to tell the news to their

families, breaking his heart every time someone cried.

Did Morgan honestly not care about his own agents? What about the civilians?

Parker could still remember being too late to help an agent when they got mauled by a

Hunter, their chests ripped open and organs scavenged like a succulent steak.

"Look me in the eye and tell me you didn't care." Parker snarled.

He tried to move, but his muscles were frozen.

"You played a part in thousands of deaths and you sit there drinking coffee, how is that

fair? Why did you get sentenced to prison, why couldn't you have gotten the death

penalty? You belong in hell you sick bastard!"

Parker tried throwing himself at the other man but remained in place.

Suddenly, Morgan's eyes grew wide and the mug fell from his hand, shattering on the

concrete floor. His arms wrapped around his stomach and he collapsed onto his side,

curling up into a ball on the bed in agony. Morgan's face contorted in pain as the poison

coursed through his body, choking when his lungs began to fail him.

Parker watched helplessly as Morgan continued to gasp for air, failing to form words to

call for help.

Parker felt a chill run up his spine when a quiet whisper passed Morgan's lips, becoming

motionless as his eyes stared blankly at the floor.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

"Parker?"

The Italian slowly opened his eyes but jumped when he felt someone shake his shoulder,

his arm shooting out and knocking the lamp and phone onto the floor.

Sitting up in his chair, Parker let out a sigh of relief upon seeing Sylvia.

"Hey, it's alright, you were dreaming." Sylvia murmured as she ran her hand through his

hair comfortingly. Sitting back in his chair, Parker rubbed his face with a groan.

Seeing the familiar office, he remembered that he had laid his head down on his desk

after talking with O'Brian. He hadn't expected to fall asleep at work…

Opening his eyes, he saw the crime scene photos.

Jessica shot in the head and Morgan curled up on his cot.

Of course he just _had_ to wake up and see them.

"I can't take much more of this…" he mumbled to himself.

Looking at the clock on the wall he saw that he had been at work, awake or otherwise, for

the past eight hours. It had been bad enough that he had nightmares last night and woke

up late in the afternoon, but to have nightmares at work was the last straw.

"I'm going call it a night, alright Syl?" Parker looked at Sylvia tiredly before pushing

himself up from his chair. "Would you like me to drive you?" Sylvia offered, helping to

steady the muscled man when he almost dropped back into his seat.

"No, no, I'll walk. I need the fresh air…" Parker rubbed his eyes before walking out of

the room, leaving the mess on his desk to be dealt with later.

Pushing the door open and feeling the cool breeze on his sweaty skin came as a shock at

first, breathing in the crisp air. Parker shoved his hands into his coat pockets and walked,

not really having a particular location in mind. He wasn't sure he was ready to go home

yet if it meant more nightmares. It was bizarre that a person could feel so exhausted

despite getting the proper hours needed for a night's rest.

Hearing a door creak open brought his attention to a man walking out of a pub.

He could really use a drink right about now…

Throwing out his reservations to never drink again, Parker walked in the direction of the

bar and pulled open the door. Walking up to a counter, he sat down and waited.

"'Evening, what would you like?" A middle aged man greeted and smiled.

"The strongest you've got."

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

After drinking his fill, just enough to take the edge off, Parker left the bar to head home.

His body felt warm, feeling more relaxed than he did an hour ago.

His mind was blissfully blank, finally getting some internal peace.

Jessica, Morgan, those students, the Hunters and everything else could not pierce through

the haze he created for himself. Tripping on a crack in the sidewalk, he caught his footing

by holding onto the side of a shop and chuckled.

Opening the door to his apartment complex, Parker began the unstable trek up the stairs.

After locking the door behind him, he wandered over to the fridge and made a sandwich.

He hadn't realized how hungry he was until the food settled in his stomach, licking his

lips of mustard. While finishing the glass of water, he looked around and realized that

Raymond wasn't around. But tonight, nothing mattered.

The brunette walked into the bedroom to prepare for sleep, noticing a suitcase on the

floor. 'Strange…wouldn't Raymond have put that in the closet?'

Walking up to the luggage, he bent down to try and unzip it, finding that it was locked.

Upon closer examination, Parker saw that the two zippers on the bag had been held

together by a small lock. Why would Raymond keep the lock on the case?

Weren't all of his things put away..?

He wasn't sure if it was boredom or curiosity but he was determined to open that

suitcase, no matter how much it may have pissed off his lover.

Parker walked out of the room and grabbed a pen, sitting on the floor and attempting to

pry the lock off the zippers. The lucid part of him realized that what he was doing was a

ridiculous mistake brought on by his drunken stupor but refused to stop.

With a grunt, the lock gave and flew across the room and under the bed, taking the

zippers along with it. Sticking the pen inside the small space in between the broken

zippers, he pushed them apart just enough so he could fit a couple of fingers in and pulled

on the lid. Continuing to tug on the lid, the zipper's teeth unhooked all around until

Parker finally push the flap back.

It wasn't surprising that there were clothes inside, yet he sifted through them.

In between some shirts and pants Parker found Raymond's passport and lighter.

'Why would he hide these in here?'

Opening the passport again revealed the same stamps he had seen before, the last two

catching his attention. The 27th in Paris and the 8th in Washington D.C.

Those dates, why did those dates bother him so much?

The memory of Morgan and Jessica's case files flashed through his mind, his breath

hitching at the realization. The dates were so close, was it possible?

No.

No, not Raymond, he would never do such a thing.

He was drunk, yes, very drunk and his mind was playing tricks on him.

Placing the passport back in the suitcase, his hand touched something cold.

Parker reached under a sweater and picked up a gun.

Why would Raymond have a gun?

He didn't fight BOWs anymore, there was simply no use for it.

So why was it in his suitcase?

Turning the gun over in his hand made his stomach churn.

This was a .50 Caliber Desert Eagle, the same type of gun used to kill those infected

students at the factory. Opening the barrel of the gun revealed that it was still loaded.

Parker set the magnum down on the floor and frantically moved clothes around in the

suitcase, finding five boxes of ammunition strapped to the bottom.

Falling back until he sat on the bed, Parker could only stare at the open suitcase in shock.

Raymond, _his _Raymond, killed those students?

Did this mean that he gave them those virus samples? How? Why?

How did Raymond even get the virus?

Didn't Chris and Jill destroy it before The Queen Zenobia sank?

Too many questions raced through his mind, giving him a headache.

He didn't want to believe it.

It couldn't be true…

No, he must be imagining all this.

He hasn't been sleeping very well, he's plagued by horrific nightmares and he is drunk.

Parker desperately wanted to give Raymond the benefit of a doubt.

Either way, he wasn't going to solve the problem tonight.

He was just so tired…

Parker crawled into bed, clothes and all, before drifting off to sleep.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

The next morning, Parker awoke with a terrible hangover.

'Now I remember why I don't drink more often…'

Sitting up in bed, he saw the mess on the floor and the memories came flooding back.

The gun, the bullets and the passport…

The Italian perked up when he heard the apartment door slowly creak open.

Parker got off the bed and threw open the bedroom door, surprised to see Raymond.

"Parker? You're-"

"Where the hell have you been?" Parker frowned at the redhead.

"I was looking for you. You stayed at work for so long and I got worried-"

Parker strode over to Raymond, standing in front of him in case he decided to bolt.

"Don't give me that bullshit, I know you're up to something." He ground out.

Raymond was stunned, looking back at Parker while trying to find the right words.

"Did you have something to do with those kids that were killed?" Parker folded his arms

across his chest and glared at Raymond accusingly. "What are you talking about?"

Raymond raised an eyebrow.

"I found a gun and bullets in your suitcase, Raymond!" Parker raised his voice, wincing

as it made his headache even worse.

Parker clenched his fists, part of him worrying that he would strike his lover.

He kept hoping that Raymond would disprove his suspicions, but the other man only

stood there and stared at him.

"What makes you think that I killed them?" Raymond frowned.

"Nothing will change unless you get your hands dirty, right?" Parker recalled what

Raymond had said to him and Jill, although the underlying message had been vague

until the redhead had revealed that he had been posing as Veltro.

Raymond was taken aback by the remark, his face turning from hurt to angry.

"That was a long time ago, you know that." Raymond's nostrils flared as he glared at the

brunette, his frown deepening. "I've changed since then."

"Apparently so." Parker shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"You were never like this before, you used to care about people."

"I _still_ do." Raymond insisted. "I gave my life to help others."

"So why did you kill those college students, then?"

Raymond froze at the question, struggling to find something worth saying.

"You're turning into Morgan, aren't you?"

"Don't you _dare_ compare me to him!" Raymond hissed as he took a step forward,

threatening to come to blows with the other man.

For a while, they stood there and stared at each wordlessly.

Parker's anger had subsided and now felt awkward staring Raymond down like this.

Raymond continued to frown before finally releasing a breath in frustration.

"I'll give you some time to cool off." Raymond muttered before turning to leave.

"Raymond-!" Parker was cut off when the door closed, kicking a chair with a curse.

He didn't know what to believe.

Raymond had enough evidence against him that proved that he may have been involved

in the murders, but he didn't deny or admit to them.

What if he was jumping to conclusions?

Parker ran a hand through his hair with a snarl before walking out the door, slamming it

on the way out. He felt conflicted, unsure of what to do.

He loved Raymond, he didn't want to believe that he was a killer.

But the agent part of him was telling him to arrest him.

For now, he just wanted to get away and think.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Parker walked down the hallway towards his desk, ignoring the stares he received due to

his wrinkled clothes and smelling of alcohol. Moore poked his head out his office door

before spotting Parker. "Parker, I have something for you." Parker turned his attention to

his boss and quickened his pace. "What is it, Moore?" he paused at the doorway.

"The tapes just came in, here." Director Moore handed two bulging envelopes to the

Italian, Parker accepting them with a raised eyebrow. "I'll get right to it." He nodded.

The brunette strode over to a smaller room that stored computers, televisions, and other

technical equipment. After closing the door, Parker tore open the envelope from Paris

before popping the tape into the VCR.

Parker was disappointed that the tape only showed the main staircase leading up to the

apartments. But on the plus side, he was able to see everyone who entered the complex.

Remembering that Jessica died sometime in the afternoon, he sped up the tape until the

clock read noon and let it play out.

Parker had seen Jessica go up the stairs the night before but didn't see her anymore after

that, which meant that she decided to stay indoors for the day.

He watched as residents and guests alike enter and exit the building, none of them stood

out. The Italian got lost in all the people that were caught on the film, wondering who

they were and how they lived their lives in such an exotic location.

When the clock read 3:00PM, he briefly caught sight of a suspicious figure.

Sitting up in his seat, Parker rewound the tape and let it play again.

He couldn't see the person very well since the camera was aimed at an angle that only

caught their side and back when they went upstairs, it also didn't help that they had

walked up the stairs so quickly.

'Someone's in a rush…'

He decided to continue watching until they came downstairs.

When the clock read 4:40, the person came back downstairs.

Parker rewound the tape and slowed it down, stopping when he thought he had a good

angle of the person's face before zooming in.

'What..?'

Parker rubbed his eyes and looked closer at the man in the video.

No, it wasn't possible!

Parker left the monitor paused while he ripped open the other package from D.C. before

pushing the tape into another VCR.

The only tape that the prison sent him had a camera angled at what he had assumed to be

Morgan's cell door. Vaguely remembering that he had died around noon as well, he sped

up the clock until noon and watched for any guards and visitors that passed by.

There were no guards or visitors until the clock on the camera read 1:30PM.

Parker looked closely and saw a guard dressed in black slacks, a blue button up shirt with

a black tie and navy blue cap. This man was carrying a tray of food, Morgan's last meal.

The guard opened a small slot in the door and slid the tray inside, waiting until the tray

was taken from inside the cell before closing the small door.

What was bizarre about the scene was that this guard had stood outside the cell the entire

time the food was being consumed, like he was waiting for something to happen.

Parker had assumed that most prison guards just gave the scheduled meals to the

prisoners and walked away. But this guard was leaning against the wall beside the door,

crossing his arms and waited. He wasn't able to get a very good look at the guard since

the cap he wore concealed the top half of his face.

When the clock read 1:50, the guard suddenly turned his attention to the cell door.

The guard then slid a peephole slot aside to look into the cell, closed it and then walked

away. Parker rewound the tape again to try and get a better look at the man's face.

Immediately pausing at the moment the imposter stood up straight to look into the cell,

Parker zoomed in and had a perfect angle to view his features.

He couldn't believe what he was seeing…

Comparing the paused footage from Jessica's apartment to the prison in D.C, Parker

realized that it was the same person who killed Morgan and Jessica.

The red hair.

That's what stood out the most to the Italian.

He couldn't deny it anymore, the video that gave a clear image to him on top of what he

had found at his apartment revealed everything he had so desperately wanted to dismiss.

'Raymond…'

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

So, Raymond is responsible, hm?

The next chapter will be entirely written from his perspective for a change, since I usually

write from Parker's-it only seems fair.

I'm terribly sorry that this chapter is so much longer than usual, this was a big chunk of

the plot and I didn't want to break it up into two chapters.

I'll also apologize in advance if anyone gets nightmares after reading the nightmare

segments in this chapter, I actually scared myself!

Chris and O'Brian got brief cameos in this chapter, I'm happy about that.

Since this story takes place two years after The Queen Zenobia incident, it's about 2007

which is also about two years after Chris and Jill fight Wesker in Lost In Nightmares.

I'd like to try and keep up with the original RE timeline but if I mess up, my mistake.

Between 2005 and 2009 (or 2005 to 2013 for the RE6 timeline), that's a lot of time

unaccounted for when it comes to Parker, Raymond, Jessica, Keith and Quint from

Revelations. I personally would like to know what happens to them but I have no idea if

they'll ever make another appearance.

So, I'm more than happy to try and write stories that take up that blank space.

I'll rest up for now after spending two days writing thirty-five pages of this chapter.

Lin


	9. Descendant Of Lucifer

**2004 – Three Years Ago**

The blue sky gleamed overhead, seemingly oblivious of the tragedy that befell

Terragrigia just four days ago. Raymond kept his hands shoved in his pockets as he

continued to walk along the sidewalk with a slight limp in his step.

The one thing he was thankful for was the drugs he had been prescribed by the doctor

after he received treatment for his leg, grateful that it didn't make him keel over in

agony as much anymore.

The redhead had chosen to walk instead of calling for a cab, simply because he wanted

some time to himself. It took a great deal of patience to control his temper when the

hospital staff tried fretted over him. It was impossible to stay in that

hospital for a day longer without losing his mind, even worse if he had to listen to that

nurse complain about her boyfriend lacking character.

It was such a relief to finally get outside.

But his enthusiasm was short lived, unfortunately.

Raymond's mind was always plagued with memories, reliving the nightmare whether he

was awake or not. Those monsters, those people…all that screaming…

He felt ashamed for failing his mission, despising himself for not being cunning enough.

Those Hunters were so fast, it was unlike anything he had ever seen before.

No amount of training could ever prepare a man for a BOW, this he knew now.

Those things…were they once people?

Raymond shuddered at the thought of being infected with a man-made virus, his body

throbbing and contorting at unfathomable proportions until the skin broke apart to reveal

a fresh layer. It seemed even more impossible how one's bones could change so

drastically, considering the bulk of the amphibious creatures.

It must have been so painful…

'_What could Veltro have possibly gained by doing all this?'_ Raymond thought bitterly.

Veltro, the bioterrorists that set the virus loose amongst the peaceful aquapolis, had

disappeared shortly after the FBC pulled out. The heartless bastards that gave no second

thought to how their weapon would affect so many lives had just vanished.

All that trouble, and they weren't even going to gloat?

Raymond released an aggravated breath, opting to occupy his mind with something else.

The roads were practically vacant, the occasional car passing by every so often.

It was strange since it was just barely past rush hour. Raymond chalked it up to being in

the more scenic part of the city as opposed to further downtown.

That's if you can even call a few pathetic trees and a less than pristine river 'scenery'.

He was starting to get tired of the city, it only reminded him of Terragrigia.

Watching people go by every day now only reminded him of the people that could've

still lived their lives if the Hunters hadn't ripped into them like tissue paper.

He's always reminded of his failure.

'Enjoy the rest of your stay on The Queen Dido, Norman…'

Raymond paused in mid-stride as he recalled his boss's choice of words in the command

room back in Terragrigia. He hadn't heard very much, but it was enough to rouse

suspicion. Morgan Lansdale, the Commissioner of the FBC, talked to Norman of _Veltro_?

Why would his own boss talk to the leader of the terrorists?

Raymond didn't like the way Morgan spoke over the phone, let alone the stare he

received once he entered the room. His gut was telling him that Morgan was somehow

involved and the look on his face made him worry even more.

If he wanted to, the man could've shot the young cadet on the spot.

And yet, the elder had chosen not to kill him…_why?_

He was just thankful that Parker and Jessica had burst into the room when they did.

Raymond doubted the two of them knew anything.

Parker seemed reluctant to believe that Veltro had someone on the inside to make sure

their attack was a success, while Jessica seemed indifferent.

What would happen once he returned to work?

Since he had been staying in the hospital he wasn't aware of what was happening at HQ.

He had no idea how the others were fairing, what they were thinking or discussing.

Being out of the loop like this posed a risk, for a number of reasons.

But his main concern was the possibility that Morgan might believe that

Raymond was a threat to him and his position at the FBC, making him a target.

Part of him wanted to report Lansdale to the authorities while the other part of him

desperately wanted to cut his losses and flee.

Raymond was no coward, and he knew that something had to be done about this.

The sound of a car screeching to a halt brought his attention to a black van.

The side door slid open and two men exited, rushing towards the lone redhead.

Raymond inwardly cursed his sluggish reflexes that had been impaired from the

prescribed painkillers, his pulse quickening when the muscular of the two wrapped his

arms around his body in a tight grasp from behind. Raymond grit his teeth and tried his

best to throw the other man's balance off, even going as far as trying to head butt him.

The one behind him was obviously in no mood for games, roughly grabbing hold of

the redhead's hair in a vice, tugging his head back.

Raymond grunted painfully as his head was tugged back, his neck craned at an

uncomfortable angle. The man with the shaved head moved in closer to Raymond from

his front. Raymond snarled as he used every bit of strength he had to kick his good leg

out to hit him in the stomach, knocking him back.

The arm that was wrapped around Raymond's chest had moved down to grip onto his left

thigh, squeezing the healing wound. Raymond cried out in pain as the man behind him

continued to squeeze, his hands latching onto the one on his leg in a desperate attempt to

pry it off. _'How the fuck does he even know about my leg?!'_

Raymond yelped in surprise when he felt a needle jab into his neck.

His mind began to swim, his vision blurring.

A black sack was pulled over his head, obscuring his eyesight.

"Get him in there." A voice ordered.

Raymond felt two arms wrap around his waist as he was dragged along the pavement.

Once he was laid on what he assumed to be the floor of the car, his arms were pulled

back and bound together. "Go, go!" another voice ushered.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

As his eyes fluttered open, Raymond winced as a light glared at him.

"Nice of you to join us, Mr. Vester." A man's voice chuckled.

Raymond looked down and realized that he was sitting in a chair. While trying to sit up

straight, he realized that his hands were bound by a zip tie.

He didn't know where he was since the entire room was engulfed in a blinding, yellow

light from above. The redhead opted to keep his head down, squinting his eyes until they

adjusted. "Who are you?" Raymond grumbled, his mind still in a haze.

"My name isn't important. But you, on the other hand, know someone that has

something that belongs to me." Raymond could just barely make out the figure of a man

that stood from a chair, slowly walking around the room.

"Who would that be?" Raymond closed his eyes again when they became strained.

"Your boss, Morgan Lansdale." He jumped when he felt a hand touch his shoulder.

"What, he owes you money?" Raymond scoffed. "No, he has something _much_ more

valuable." The footsteps along the tiled floor unnerved him as he was unable to watch the

man's movements, feeling even more vulnerable. "Ah, so sorry to hear about your leg, by

the way. If you want, I'd be more than happy to get you something to help with the pain."

"How would you know about that?" Raymond frowned. "I know everything that goes on

in the FBC, my boy." He replied coyly. "What do you want?" Raymond sighed in

annoyance, wanting to get this all over with. "Hmph, impatient, aren't you?" the man

huffed. "Well, as you know, Veltro attacked Terragrigia with the use of a virus. Would

you like to guess who supplied it to them?" Raymond grit his teeth and moved his head

away when the man played with his ear. "We developed it, and we gave it to Morgan

who then handed it over to the terrorists." Raymond whipped his head around in the

direction of the voice, shocked at the revelation. "However, there is another virus that we

developed for military purposes. It hasn't been tested yet. Unfortunately, Morgan took

the last of the samples-and we want them back. Morgan and his 'associates' are the only

ones who know where it is." Raymond kept his head bowed as it sunk in.

"Why don't you ask him where it is, then?" Raymond tested the tightness of the zip tie

around his wrists, trying to see if he can slip out of it. "It's not that simple, I'm afraid. We

have tried to contact him but he denies knowing its whereabouts. Worse yet, if we try to

force it out of him he could report us, and we simply can't afford to be exposed. So, I

need someone like you to get close to him and find it." Raymond heard the telltale sound

of a lighter, hearing the man release a puff of air as he smoked. "Now why would I want

to help you?" Raymond muttered bitterly, giving up on trying to loosen the tie as it cut

into his skin.

"Why would you even choose me to help you anyway?"

"Let's just say that we got a nice recommendation from someone on the inside, they

speak rather highly of you." Raymond frowned at the mirth in the man's voice.

So there _is _a traitor in the FBC…

"That's debatable, considering that I was almost turned into a pin cushion." Raymond

scoffed as he leaned back in his chair. "I won't do it. I joined the FBC for a reason." He

replied with resolve. "I thought you might say that. You want to be a hero, don't you?"

The man placed his hands on both of Raymond's shoulders, giving a firm squeeze. "You

want to help people, make a difference, right?" Raymond repressed a laugh at the cliché

sentiment, freezing when the other man leaned closely enough that he felt his breath

against the shell of his ear. "Let me tell you something, it's overrated."

Raymond turned his head to look at the other man but was too late to get a good look at

him, frowning at the lack of personal space. "I won't help a terrorist." The redhead

persisted. "Vester, have you forgotten the meaning behind the term 'Terrorist'? We

terrorize people, make their lives as hellish as we see fit. If you refuse to help us get that

virus back, well, just think of what we can do in retaliation."

"I've seen hell. If I can survive Terragrigia, I can handle anything." Raymond retorted.

An uncomfortable silence settled in the room, the only sound being the man's footsteps.

"And what of Parker Luciani? Do you think he would say the same?"

Raymond froze at the mention of his commander's name, puzzled as to why this cocky

bastard would know of him.

"Our friend tells us that you have a certain fondness for him, a sweet spot." Raymond

failed to repress a shiver at the glee in his voice. "He saved you, didn't he? That is very

admirable of him, risking his life to save yours-a rookie." He chuckled, releasing another

puff of smoke from his cigarette. Raymond kept silent, sucking in a calming breath

through his nose, turning his head around to try and find the shadowed figure.

"Do you worship him now? Or perhaps you feel inferior to him…"

"Shut up…" Raymond grumbled as he stared at the floor.

"The hapless cadet with a hero complex is saved by the all merciful Luciani. Yes, he has

gained a reputation for a low casualty rate, much less than you could ever hope to

achieve. That must be a real kick to your ego…"

Raymond knew that this man was only trying to get under his skin, hoping to sway his

resolve in his favor. He wouldn't allow himself to fall for his tricks, craning his head at

an angle with a look of annoyance.

The other man seemed to realize that his strikes to Raymond's pride wasn't going

anywhere, deciding to change his tactic.

"Our friend has told us that he's now at the bottom of the bottle, did you know that?"

Raymond quirked an eyebrow at the remark.

Parker hadn't seemed like the type to drink…

"So you don't know then. I'm sorry to shatter your perfect image of him, but he is only

human, after all. But I'm sure that you'd be more than happy to comfort him."

Raymond straightened up in his seat as he glared at the other presence in the room.

"How would you go about it? Share a drink with him as he tells you his woes, or would

you get on your knees for him?" Raymond clenched his fists as he was beginning to lose

his temper with this pitiful excuse for a terrorist, disgusted and embarrassed for him that

he didn't even have the courage or intent to beat the resolve out of him.

"_Shut up_." He ground out.

"Oh? You're getting angry now?" the other spoke with mock surprise.

"Hmph, it wouldn't surprise me if you dreamed of having his cock in you.

Is that it, Mr. Vester? You want your superior to fuck you like a woman?"

"FUCK YOU!" Raymond spat as he wriggled in the chair.

It was one thing to antagonize him, but to pass off his…well, whatever it was that he

thought or felt about his commander as a simple flight of fancy was going too far.

The other man had the _gall_ to laugh at him, making Raymond seethe.

"What's the matter, rookie? Am I not allowed to talk about your dear captain?"

"Shut up! Shut the hell up!" Raymond winced as the zip tie dug into his skin more as he

struggled to break free, wanting nothing more than to beat that bastard to a pulp.

A chuckle, followed by a smack to the face, briefly stunned the redhead.

A hand grabbed his chin and forced it upwards, even though he still couldn't see who was

in the room with him. "Now, enough chit chat. You will do as I say or your captain will

be our new guinea pig, and you of all people should know how quickly we go through

our test subjects." The man spoke darkly. Raymond stared up at the outline of the man's

head and shoulders, stunned by the other's coldness.

Parker…

He recalled that fateful day, bringing his gaze down to look at his leg.

Parker had been trying to regroup with other fellow agents to try and save what was left

of the city, but stopped to help the young cadet when he had been overwhelmed by

Hunters. The pain returned in Raymond's leg at the memory of the creature's claw

stabbing into his flesh, his lungs straining as he cried out from the searing agony.

He remembered how helpless he felt as he sat on the blood-stained floor, terrified of

running out of bullets as one after another lunged at him with eagerness.

Just when he was beginning to count all his life's regrets, Parker and Jessica came

running down the hallway to assist him.

Parker could have chosen to leave him behind, but he didn't.

Even when he offered to stay behind as bait to give Parker and Jessica time to escape, his

commander had refused to leave him.

He was almost certain that Parker would leave him behind after losing so much blood,

unable to keep up with his two superiors. But Raymond was promised that they would

find bandages and return to aid him. Left with no other options, he could only sit and wait

for their return, watching the blazing sky outside the window.

Raymond's grim thoughts had switched from the belief that they abandoned him to the

possibility that they had died along the way. His heart sunk when he heard the familiar

screeches of the towering hell spawn, readying his gun for the final fight.

But to his surprise, the door down the hallway opened and gunfire halted the creatures in

their pursuit. He simply couldn't believe that someone could be so unselfish.

Raymond's heart fluttered when Parker wrapped the bandages around his upper thigh,

unable to recall a time when he felt so grateful. _'I get it, you want justice served. But no _

_more heroics, or you'll get your whole unit killed.'_ Raymond felt a twinge of guilt of

being reminded of his failure to help others, but took this as advice to keep his ego in

check and keep what truly mattered as top priority.

Ever since that day, he vowed to become a better and stronger agent.

Despite his resolution, he always believed that Parker would always be the most

successful in the FBC, doing so much more good than he ever could.

If something happened to his commander, there would be far more casualties.

Raymond couldn't live with himself if something ever happened to the Italian.

What if they captured Parker and turned him into some kind of monster?

The thought of the man turning into a Hunter terrified him to the core.

As much as it pained Raymond to go against his oath to seek and destroy terrorists, he

simply couldn't afford to risk his superior's life.

He closed his eyes with resignation, his pride shattered.

"I'll…I'll do it, just leave him out of this." Raymond felt nauseous when the other man

chuckled and patted his cheek as if to reward a submissive dog. "Good, you can get

started right away." Raymond heard the footsteps walk away and a loud creak as the door

behind him opened, a stream of light creeping along the floor beneath his feet.

"Our contact will get in touch with you, Vester, they will tell you what to do."

Two sets of footsteps came into the room and pulled a black sack over Raymond's head

before helping him stand up and hauling him away, having difficulty keeping up.

"Easy with him, boys, he's one of us now." A woman's voice chuckled coyly.

Raymond froze in place when he heard the familiar voice, grunting in protest when he

was dragged along the floor.

'Jessica…?'

After what seemed like hours, the car had finally stopped.

Raymond was tugged off the floor and out of the van, stumbling over a step when he was

forced onto the sidewalk. Raymond felt relieved when the zip tie was cut and the sack

was roughly yanked off his head. The van door slammed shut and the car sped off down

the street, abandoning the redhead.

Raymond winced as he rubbed the engraved rings on his wrists, easing the pain.

Looking up at the dark sky, he wondered how long he had been held prisoner.

He was overwhelmed with the possibility that Lansdale was working alongside Veltro

during the attack on Terragrigia. Even worse, his boss could kill him for his suspicions

and this unknown group could have Parker killed if he didn't cooperate with them.

And why did that woman's voice sound so eerily like Jessica's?

Did Jessica play a hand in all this too?

Raymond rubbed at his forehead as a headache formed, sighing in exasperation.

'Why is this happening…?'

He felt ashamed for giving in so easily and going against his reservations to help some

organization retrieve a deadly virus. All this for the sake of protecting his commander?

He couldn't possibly go through with this.

Maybe it wasn't too late to report his capture and interrogation…

Raymond jumped when his cell phone rung in his back pocket, fumbling for it.

Glancing at the screen, he realized that it was an unlisted number.

His intuition told him that this was a call he shouldn't dismiss, opening the flip phone.

"Hello?" he asked, trying his best to keep his tone calm and unwavering.

"Failure is not an option, Mr. Vester. Don't disappoint me." Raymond shivered as the

man's smooth voice echoed in his ear, relieved when he then heard the incessant dial

tone. Closing his phone and slipping it back into his pocket, he looks up to realize that he

had been dropped off in front of his apartment building.

'They know where I live…'

They were serious.

Looking around cautiously, Raymond walked inside of the building, grunting and holding

onto his leg as the pain returned. Once he was safe inside, or so he hoped, he leaned back

against the wall and tried to think of a solution. If he or Parker tried to leave town they

would just get caught and the deal would be cancelled, perhaps ending both of their lives.

He had no choice but to play along until he found a better option.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

After staying in his apartment for two days, Raymond had finally felt strong enough to go

back to work. Despite his doctor telling him to stay at home for another week, he was

tired of being cooped up alone and consumed with paranoia.

He could at least make do with paperwork until his leg had completely healed.

Sitting at his desk, he rubbed at his thigh soothingly.

The hospital only permitted him to take two Vicodin tablets every day to avoid becoming

dependent on the habit-forming drug. It helped curb the pain for most of the day, but the

rest he had to make do when the potency of the dose slowly dwindled.

Being back at FBC headquarters brought bittersweet comfort.

While he was grateful to be alive and back on duty, he quickly noticed that many of the

other agents and the overall atmosphere had become slow and bleak.

Everyone in the entire world knew of what was now being called the Terragrigia Panic,

the label hitting the FBC community hard.

Raymond knew that everyone involved had tried their very best to help the doomed city,

but it would never be considered enough to the public eye. To everyone else they were

simply failures-groomed soldiers that failed to do their jobs.

But the one thing that the general populace would never come to understand was the

sheer number of losses-civilians and officials alike.

More people went in with far less coming out…

That very notion is what diminished the spirits of the majority of the operatives here.

The FBC itself was still rather new, formed only just a few years ago, and their first

major crisis had been a complete failure.

Then again, who could blame an organization for being unprepared for such devastating

creatures? The FBC had some of the best of the best from varying military positions.

No matter the experience, the training or nerves of steel, no one could ever be prepared

for such a hellish situation. That's what Terragrigia was, hell incarnate.

He was thankful for it being an isolated incident, at least preventing it from

spreading to the mainland or further across the continent.

In retrospect, the one good thing that came from all this is the awareness of

bioterrorism and convincing congress that it is a very real and dangerous possibility.

"Hey, Ray." A voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Lou?" Raymond glanced up and acknowledged his fellow cadet, two years younger than

him. "Morgan wants to see you in his office." The raven-haired man nodded his head in

the direction of their superior's office down the hall.

"Alright, thanks." Raymond hissed as he slowly got up from his seat, limping a few steps

before walking an even stride down the hallway.

As he got closer to the wooden door, he felt his heart race from the anxiety of facing his

boss. He had never seen the elder man face to face since that final day in Terragrigia.

Would he be fired? Threatened?

Even grimmer outcomes crossed his mind the closer he got to the door, wrapping his

hand around the cold steel doorknob before knocking and awaiting an answer.

"Come in." Raymond sucked in a breath and pushed the door open.

"Ah, Raymond, come in." Morgan glanced up from his desk and motioned his hand to

grant access into the room. Raymond stepped inside and closed the door and stood

before the other man. "Sit." Raymond complied, albeit nervously.

"I heard about your leg and I wanted to see how much your condition improved." Morgan

folded his hands on his desk as he looked at the red haired cadet. "My leg is healing

rather well, sir, thank you." Raymond replied, masking the surprise he felt at the man's

seemingly sincere concern for him. _'Don't fall for it…'_ he warned himself.

"That's good to hear. I assume you'll be in top shape in no time, correct?" Morgan's

mouth quirked up into a smile, unsettling the redhead.

"Yes, the doctor expects a full recovery within the week." Raymond answered honestly,

trying to figure out what Morgan really called him in for.

"Good, I expect nothing less from you. You may go now." The older of the two smiled

before motioning his hand to the door. "Is that all?" Raymond failed to hide his disbelief.

"That is all." Morgan nodded before going back to his paperwork.

Raymond stared at Morgan before getting up from the chair and walking out of the room.

That was too easy, it unnerved him to no end.

He had half expected to at least be offered a poisoned drink or something.

If it weren't for the mysterious group's confirmation of Morgan's involvement with

Veltro, Raymond was almost certain that the look he had received back in Terragrigia

had been one of concern rather than one of realization of being caught red handed.

It was still a possibility and he was never the type to let his guard down.

Raymond grunted when someone bumped into him roughly, glancing down and freezing

at the sight of Jessica. "Sorry about that, cadet." She apologized with a wink.

Raymond stared at her, the color draining from his face as he realized that her voice was

very similar to the one he had heard during his imprisonment.

'_She wouldn't…would she?'_ Raymond continued to stare at her as she walked in the

opposite direction, glancing over her shoulder at him before entering a room and closing

the door behind her.

Raymond shook his head and continued the trek back to his desk.

The sudden run-in he had with the brunette reminded him of her partner.

Parker.

Where was Parker anyway?

He didn't remember seeing him in the building at all…

"Lou, have you seen Parker?" Raymond paused near the man's desk before settling in his

own. "Parker? He resigned." Lou looked up from a report, eyes saddened.

Raymond froze, hands sitting on top of his desk with his knees bent in preparation of

sitting down. Parker was…gone?

"When did he resign?" Raymond finally asked as he dropped into his seat, grunting

slightly as the movement jostled his leg. "About three days ago, I think. Terragrigia

must've really gotten to him, stopped coming into work shortly afterwards." Lou

continued, turning a page before scribbling something down.

Raymond looked down at his hands in disbelief.

Parker, the man who saved his life…had simply left.

He didn't even get the chance to thank him…

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Raymond continued to lie in bed, staring at the wall silently.

Ever since he heard the news about Parker's resignation he had taken refuge in his

apartment after leaving work, failing to find solace in sleep.

Then again, it wasn't all that surprising that he could not fall asleep on command.

He hadn't had a full night's rest since before the Terragrigia Panic started, inwardly

cursing fate for stripping him of his sense of normalcy.

A knock at his front door made him grumble miserably, reluctantly sitting up in bed

before walking out of his room to answer the door.

Why couldn't he just be left alone?

Raymond blinked in surprise at the sight of Jessica standing in his doorway, smiling

sweetly at him. "Hey there, I was hoping we could have a little chat." The brunette

brushed her hand along his cheek before stepping inside his apartment.

Raymond rolled his eyes as he closed the door, eyeing the woman suspiciously as she

made herself at home on his white couch.

Raymond folded his arms across his chest as he leaned against the wall, eliciting a laugh

from the lush woman. "Come on, Ray, I won't bite." She smiled as she patted the seat

beside her. "I'm in no mood for your games, Jessica." He frowned.

"Oh fine, have it your way." She sighed irritably as she slid her purple pea coat off her

shoulders, adjusting the cuffs of her black sweater.

Raymond scoffed as he instinctively hobbled his way over to the liquor cabinet, pouring

himself a glass of rum before sitting down in an arm chair across from his superior.

He really wished that he could take more than just two Vicodin tablets everyday, but

he had to make do with alcohol when the painkillers wore off.

"What did you need to tell me?" he took a sip from the glass, leaning back in his chair.

"Well, I'm guessing you just want me to cut to the chase, right?" she muttered as she

brushed her hair behind her ear, crossing her legs before swaying her ankle.

'_Sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm not interested in women…'_ he hid his smile behind

the glass as he took another sip, uncaring that he bluntly shot down her advances.

"I'm a spy that has been planted in the FBC to keep an eye on Morgan." She spoke

calmly, watching for a reaction from the redhead.

There was definitely no mistaking it, it had been Jessica's voice he heard after being led

away by his captors. He had hoped that he imagined it.

"I thought that was your voice I heard." Raymond frowned at the brunette. "I should have

you arrested for treason, given your involvement with Terragrigia."

"Hey, I had nothing to do with Terragrigia!" Jessica leaned forward and glared at him.

"Is that so? I thought your group helped Morgan provide Veltro with the virus."

"I only agreed to find out where the prototype is." She crossed her arms defensively.

"You're still a traitor, Jessica, you're going against your oath to help these bastards."

Raymond straightened up in his seat as he stared accusingly at her.

"Whether you like it or not, we're working together on this." Jessica took a compact from

her purse and examined her face, pouting her lips before touching them up with lipstick.

Raymond opened his mouth to rebuke her shallow and disloyal demeanor.

"Or Parker will be found and terminated." Jessica curtly shut her compact to interrupt

whatever argument Raymond would've imposed on her.

Raymond released an aggravated breath as he closed his eyes in surrender, looking away

from the woman in disgust. "How can you even talk about your partner like that?" he

mumbled, chugging the remaining contents of his glass.

"I was never really close with him to begin with." She scoffed, repositioning her legs.

"In this job, people come and go. You'll get used to it, trust me." She smiled sadly.

Raymond looked at her incredulously, stunned at her lack of empathy.

"Now, if we're going to be working together we'll need a plan." Jessica held her chin in

her hand as she glanced at him thoughtfully.

"….What did you have in mind?" Raymond finally spoke, his eyes flicking to her briefly.

"I can't touch him because he's the only lead we have left to finding out where the virus

is. So, I'm only left with searching his office and bugging his phone calls." She huffed.

"Not the greatest plan." Raymond deadpanned, earning a glare from the

woman. "Can you do better?" she retorted, raising an eyebrow.

Raymond stared at her blankly, at a loss of what to say.

To keep his end of the bargain, to protect Parker, he had to somehow come up with a

way of getting his own _boss_ to divulge the virus' location.

But he couldn't. This was wrong. They were helping a group that intended to make use of

the very thing that destroyed so many innocent lives. He couldn't go through with this…

Realizing his predicament, his gaze drifts to the floor.

"Listen, you're going to need to toughen up if you ever hope to make it in this

business." Jessica sighed as she rummaged in her bag.

"I don't plan on _staying_." Raymond sneered.

"Such a shame…" she spoke sadly.

"I'm only helping you to-"

"To protect Parker, I know." Jessica rolled her eyes at the cadet.

"To be honest, I think it's really pathetic of you to defend such a broken man."

Raymond was taken aback by the insult, gritting his teeth as every imaginable threat and

curse ran through his mind-his anger coming to a head when the brunette chuckled.

"Well, I'll let you rest now, cadet. Call me if you think of anything."

Jessica promptly stood up from the couch and walked towards the door, glancing back at

Raymond. "It's going to be a real treat to work with you." She winked before closing the

door behind her. With a snarl, Raymond hurled his empty glass against the door, the loud

impact of it shattering satisfying him.

Grunting while trying to stand, he rubs his sore leg as he leans back against the chair.

He despised the situation he had been thrust into, wishing it was just a dream.

Regardless, he had no choice but to do their bidding.

He only hoped that they would keep their end of the deal and leave his former

commander in peace-he owed him that much at least for saving his life.

It was apparent that Jessica and whoever she worked for didn't have much of a plan.

Waiting for Morgan to slip up and reveal the location of this newly developed viral

weapon was a very slim opportunity.

If Morgan wasn't willing to hand it over and there weren't any clues to its whereabouts…

The only other solution he could think of was to possibly try and have him lead them to

it. Fear has always been the best motivator, even Morgan Lansdale must've had

something he was afraid of. _'His position..'_

It was true, Morgan valued his high ranking position as Commissioner for the FBC, and

he would do anything to ensure its solidarity.

This was something he could use to his advantage…

The idea he had in mind, however, was far too great for him to put into action alone.

He needed help, and he needed resources to make it believable.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

**2005 – One Year Later**

"So, how do we go about this anyway?" Raymond's eyes flicked over to Rachael before

switching back to the ocean view far below their helicopter. "We'll split up once we land,

we should be able to cover more ground that way." He answered, repressing a laugh

when he glanced at her cleavage.

It came as a surprise to both agents when they were told to investigate The Queen

Zenobia, leaving them little time to prepare. Preparation wise, Rachael just happened to

grab one of the remaining wetsuits available that couldn't zip up past her bosoms.

In turn, the zipper broke when she attempted to force it up and was left with a gaping

opening for all eyes to see-much to her embarrassment.

'Well, I did offer to give her a bullet proof vest to cover up…'

One whole year, that's how long he had to wait for his plan to be put into effect.

He had contacted Director O'Brien of the BSAA shortly after the Terragrigia Panic and

told him of his suspicions of Morgan's involvement. That on top of O'Brien's own

concerns after the elder man's rash decision to decimate the fallen city only sealed the

hopeful outcome that was to be the end of Morgan's career.

It took him months to finally gain access to his boss' computer, only having enough time

to copy the map of The Queen Zenobia. After that, Lansdale had everything moved

behind a high security door that could only be opened with his handprint.

The mere fact that Morgan had the layout of the cruise ship and kept all the tracking

equipment out of his subordinates' reach only confirmed the man's paranoia of being

discovered. Raymond and O'Brien then set up a fake base in the mountains of Finland

and spread rumors of Veltro's revival to tip off Morgan's mole.

Meanwhile, Raymond had a small team of volunteers sent to occupy the air base to

preserve the illusion of Veltro's existence while also giving them the assignment of

combing the oceans for The Queen Zenobia.

Low and behold, the ship had been discovered and Raymond had been ordered by

Lansdale to investigate. Although he had expected to be sent in with another agent, he

hadn't expected to be working alongside a rookie. Rachael was still very new in the FBC

and didn't have much training beyond knowing how to shoot a gun.

He worried about her safety and wished that he could look out for her, but he still had his

own mission to fulfil. _'I must avenge Terragrigia.'_

"Is that it?" Rachael sat up in her seat and leaned in closer to the windshield, pointing at a

black and white structure in the distance. Raymond narrowed his eyes as he peered at the

obscured contraption through the darkness. "Good eye, I'm surprised you can see it with

that hair of yours." He scoffed, the corner of his mouth turning up in a half grin.

Rachael blew out a puff of air, briefly blowing back her bangs.

"Hey, it's not my fault that I didn't have time to pull it back." She huffed briskly.

'_You've had these past three hours to screw around with it…'_ he thought bitterly.

"I'll try to find us a place to land." He spoke as he pushed the steering wheel up, causing

the helicopter to lurch forward as it dived down closer towards the ship.

Rachael yelped as she clung to the sides of her seat, glaring at the redhead.

Sensing his partner's accusing glare, he eased up on the wheel and allowed the helicopter

to gently touch the ground. Once the propellers slowed to a stop, Rachael opened her

door and stepped down onto the helipad, unholstering her handgun.

"You still have your map?" Raymond called over as he stepped down from the pilot seat,

opening the back door to pull out a large duffel bag.

"Yeah!" the blonde called back, having to shout over the roar of the wind. "I'll check out

the back end and you'll cover the front?" she continued as she checked her PDA.

"That's fine, just be sure to check in with me every ten minutes!" he yelled as he

slammed the door shut, slinging the bag's strap across his chest.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Closing the door to the small room, Raymond dropped the duffel bag with a sigh.

He was becoming exhausted already, he hadn't expected to feel so drained after all the

walking he had to do just to get from the roof to this room near the kitchen.

Although, it probably didn't help that he had to carry this bag with him…

Unzipping the dead weight, Raymond lifts out pieces of a mannequin and some rope.

O'Brien knew, from what Raymond had told him, that there was probably a spy in the

BSAA that worked for Morgan and it would've ruined their plan to find

incriminating evidence against him. So, the Director had carefully picked and sent out

two separate teams-one that would go investigate the staged base in Finland while the

other came to investigate The Queen Zenobia. To be on the safe side, O'Brien had a

mannequin made to look almost exactly like Chris Redfield to lure Jill Valentine into

their trap. Once Jill and her companion were caught, they would be forced to search the

ship more thoroughly, hopefully finding the evidence they needed to bring the truth about

Terragrigia to light.

After clicking the pieces of the mannequin together, Raymond hoists the life-sized doll

onto the wooden chair he dragged in from the cafeteria before tying it up with the rope.

The finishing touch was to hang the neon yellow flag, a passage from

_Dante's Divine Comedy _splashed across the crest in red ink.

Rummaging in the bag some more, Raymond pulled out a Veltro uniform and gas

canisters. To make Veltro's revival believable, Raymond knew that there had to be

operatives that were clad in the uniforms that the terrorists were seen wearing.

Putting aside his bitter resentment, he began to change out of his FBC uniform and into

the green camouflage-complete with a voice changing gas mask.

It would be an understatement to say that he did not appreciate the uniform.

He had to hurry, he called O'Brien two hours ago to inform him that Morgan had heard

about the BSAA's investigation on the beach and sent him to The Queen Zenobia to find

and apprehend any surviving Veltro members. The team the BSAA leader had sent would

arrive shortly, and he had to make himself scarce.

Stuffing the duffel bag under the small table, hoping the pathetic excuse for a light

wouldn't allow the BSAA agents see it, Raymond set the canisters of nerve gas inside

the air ducts.

He had to get special clearance from the higher ups in Tricell to get those canisters, but it

was necessary for this mission.

The sound of gunshots broke the eerie silence, jolting Raymond from his reverie.

'And so it begins…'

Creeping along the hallway towards the kitchen, Raymond overhears bits of the

conversation on the other side. Judging from the soft tone, it was a woman's voice.

But there was a masculine voice accompanying her, it was familiar somehow…

While they were distracted in their conversation with each other, Raymond quickly

unlocked the door from his end before dashing back downstairs.

The only places he could go to hide was either the stairway or inside the room with the

mannequin, and the stairway didn't leave him enough time to put distance between

him and the BSAA agents.

Slamming the door shut behind him, Raymond leaned against the wall and waited.

There were approaching footsteps, followed by the unsettling creak of the peep hole in

the door opening. "Chris! Chris!" Raymond jumped from the sudden shouting, rolling his

eyes at the eager woman. "Come on, say something!" he felt a headache forming when

she persisted to bang on the metal door, the incessant clanging echoing throughout the

hallway. "I found Chris, but he's trapped….No, it's a tough lock, I'll need the key."

Raymond breathed a sigh of relief when the agent finally left, the door to the stairway

closing shut behind her. Opening the door, wincing when he heard it creak, he locked the

door and closed it behind him.

While walking down the hall, making his way to the bottom of the stairway to hide,

his radio beeped to life. Raymond lifted up his gas mask, just enough so his voice could

be heard clearly. "Raymond, here." He spoke softly, hoping Valentine's partner wouldn't

detect him. "This is Rachael." Raymond felt relieved knowing that his partner was still

alive, maybe she wasn't as hopeless as he thought.

"Did you find anything?" he asked as he sat down on a step, noticing the broken handrail.

"Nothing, I haven't found a single trace of Veltro anywhere. I just want to get the hell off

this ship…" the blonde sighed in frustration.

"Hold on, I have to check on something. I'll radio you back…" she whispered.

While he felt relieved that she had radioed him, he felt uneasy at the tone in her voice.

That accompanied with the gunshots in the kitchen only confirmed his suspicions that

they weren't alone, and he wasn't entirely sure that was a good sign.

After waiting for some time, almost twenty minutes exactly, he heard the door upstairs

open and close before a pair of footsteps came running down the steps before exiting

through the side door. Raymond stood up and removed a remote control from his pocket,

waiting two minutes before pressing the button that activated the gas.

Walking back upstairs and opening the door, he heard coughing.

The door to 'Chris' cell was wide open and he could see two figures lying on the floor

through the fog, easily walking through it while wearing his mask.

There was a young woman wearing a blue wetsuit lying on the floor to his right, who he

assumed to be the famous Jill Valentine. "It's time you learned the truth, Ms. Valentine."

The brunette looked up at him helplessly before dropping her head on the floor,

succumbing to the vapors in the air.

This was too easy…

To his left, a muscular man laid unconscious.

Bending down to get a better look, Raymond grabbed on the burly heap and pushed on

his shoulder to move him just enough to identify his features.

Shoulder length hair, evenly kept beard…

'_Parker…?' _Raymond's eyes widened at the realization.

There was no doubt about it, this was his former commander-Parker Luciani.

He had no idea that Parker had joined the BSAA, let alone show up here of all times.

The redhead had always been a little skeptical about fate, but in this moment, that might

change for him. Unconsciously reaching out to stroke the Italian's hair, he began to

pet it soothingly. Maybe it was his imagination playing tricks on him, but he could've

sworn that the other man had relaxed under his light caresses.

'_I never got to thank him…' _he thought sadly.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Raymond sighed irritably as he walked along the hallway, frustrated that he still hadn't

found any evidence linking Lansdale's involvement in Terragrigia.

After placing Parker and Jill in their rooms and setting a bomb in their boat, he's been

spending the last hour searching every cabin that wasn't locked.

He was thankful to finally be out of that green camouflage and back in his FBC uniform.

Wearing the terrorist's uniform, even if he wasn't an official member, felt blasphemous

and shameful-but he knew that he would need to don it again to keep up the illusion.

Wandering around on this ship was unnerving, the silence putting him on edge.

Yelping when his foot slipped on something on the floor, he caught himself on the wall.

Lowering the glare of his flashlight down onto the floor he saw that it wasn't water…

Blood?

The crimson color made him think it was blood but it wasn't a puddle, it was a heap.

It was a mixture of blood, flesh and bone-something that he had never seen in all his days

of preventing bioterrorism. Did something eat a human being and regurgitate it?

Raymond's stomach churned at the thought, his nausea worsened when the horrible smell

wafted in the air and caused him to dry heave. _'Pull it together, Vester..' _he chastised

himself, standing away from the wall after regaining his composure.

An abrupt rattle shook the air duct above him, the clanging resonating throughout the

immediate area. The loud ruckus was enough to make him jump, his heart skipping a

beat. There was a strange sound coming from the ducts, a mixture of a groan and a

gurgle. It was apparent that there was something up there, taking the initiative to

unholster his gun. But nothing happened, the area engulfed in silence.

Keeping his gun at the ready, Raymond continued to walk down the hall.

The rattling began once more, louder than before.

The lid from the vent above crashed onto the floor, startling the redhead.

A gray heap fell from the ducts, landing on the floor with a sickening wet plop.

Raymond trained his gun on the fleshy mass, backing up when it stood to its feet.

Aside from the creature's stature resembling a human figure, it was unrecognizable.

It was made up of gray, slick skin and there were bones protruding from its arms.

The creature gurgled and began to lumber towards the agent, swiping its arms at him.

Raymond began firing at its head, tightening his grip on the gun when the adrenaline

threatened to deviate his aim. The monstrosity continued to pursue its meal eagerly

despite the bullets lodging into its skull, grunting after each one found its mark.

Raymond changed his tactic and instead shot at one of its legs, releasing a breath when it

collapsed from the assault on its appendage. Despite the fall, it continued to drag its body

along the floor with a snarl._ 'Don't these things ever fucking die?!' _

Raymond planted another bullet into its skull, freezing when the creature's head dropped.

After waiting a few moments, he finally took a step forward and examined it.

It wasn't moving but he couldn't be certain that it was dead.

The shape of its body was definitely human, but its arms and legs were longer than they

normally would've been. Its face was covered with a gray membrane and had sharp fangs

where the mouth would be. The bones protruding from its arms were impossibly sharp,

making the redhead wonder how a human's bones could morph like this.

Glancing back at the mass of flesh behind him, he wondered

if the infection changed some humans into these type of creatures while others simply

dissolved. It was a despicable creation and he loathed whoever developed it.

It was more obvious now than before that the ship was infected with this new virus, and

he worried for the lives of the BSAA agents and Rachael.

He hadn't heard from his partner ever since that last call when he captured Jill and

Parker. He had attempted to call her numerous times, every ten minutes, just like they

agreed. He only hoped that perhaps their signal had been jammed at some point in time.

Taking his eyes away from the sight he continued onwards, reloading his gun.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Loud clanging filled the room as he continued to hit the butt of his gun against the control

panel, pulling off the lid and began cutting the wires inside.

Raymond knew that Parker and Jill were going to try contacting headquarters but they

haven't found the source of the infection yet, and he just couldn't allow them to call for

back up or evacuation until they discovered the truth.

He was grateful for still wearing his gloves, the wires' sparks dancing wildly.

He smashed the computer screens for good measure, shielding his eyes from the glass.

Satisfied with his handiwork, Raymond walked down a flight of stairs before opening

a door that led to a carpeted hallway.

He chose to try the door to the left first, seeing that there was a peculiar emblem on the

door. _'It could be the captain's room.'_

Attempting to turn the knob, he realized that it was locked.

How in the world was anyone able to get around on this ship with so many locked doors?

"Damn it!" Raymond cursed as he slammed his fist against the door.

He quirked an eyebrow when he heard footsteps on the floor above him, turning around

to make his way back upstairs. "I'm at the bridge." He heard Jill call out.

It was time for him to make a grand entrance, making his presence known to the agents.

"The communications console is out." Jill sighed in disappointment.

"This looks recent…The perpetrator can't be far."

He heard an explosion off in the distance, casting an orange glow on the window.

"Don't tell me that was the tugboat…" Jill murmured in an annoyed tone.

"Shit, we'll be stuck here!" Parker shouted before breaking into a run for the door.

'_Leaving so soon?'_ he mused, grabbing onto the woman in a tight hold.

"Jill!" he heard Parker shout, taken by surprise when Jill kicked him in the face.

An elbow to the stomach forced him to release his grip on the brunette, crying out in pain

before dropping to his knees. "Freeze, drop your weapon!" Parker called out to him.

"Drop yours, Parker.." he muttered. "Who the hell are you?" Parker narrowed his eyes at

the other man. Raymond aimed his gun at them, flinching when a shot rang out-missing

him by a yard. _'Missed me…'_ Raymond looked back at Parker and smiled darkly.

"Raymond…That's you, isn't it?" Parker looked at the cadet in surprise, lowering his

gun. "Hmph, the BSAA, a little too late." He spoke smugly as he stood up, keeping his

gun trained on the agents. "What is the FBC doing here?" Parker narrowed his eyes

suspiciously at the redhead, frowning when Raymond laughed.

'_Why are you so surprised to see me? The FBC despises Veltro just as much as the BSAA, _

_of course I'm going to get involved in this-it's personal now.'_

"Answer me, Raymond!" his former commander ordered. "I don't have to answer

anything." The redhead sneered. "You have no authority over this."

"We don't have time to fight, we've got to-" Jill tried to break up the tension between the

two men. "Oh, give it a rest." He interrupted her. "You don't know why you're here or

who you're fighting." Raymond holstered his gun before heading towards the door.

"Raymond, stop right there!" the Italian barked. Raymond froze out of habit of being

ordered by his superior. "Nothing will change unless you get your hands dirty…" he

mumbled before walking out of the room.

Raymond made his way to the elevator, pressing the button and walking inside before

crossing his arms across his chest and leaning back against the wall.

That was the first time he interacted with his former captain since the final day in

Terragrigia, a somewhat bittersweet reunion. _'It's good to see you again, Parker..' _he

smiled sadly. When the elevator stopped he walked out with his gun drawn, looking to

his left and right before continuing down the hallway.

Upon hearing footsteps, Raymond stayed close to the wall and slowly moved until he

could peek around the corner.

When he didn't see anything down the hall, he continued on cautiously.

A creature that was unlike the others he had seen began to stumble towards him.

The difference this one had compared to the others was that it was a giant mass of gray

flesh that walked on two legs. There was no head, no arms and it didn't make any noise.

Raymond backed away and began firing at the mass, surprised that the gray tumor-like

mass began to grow in size after he kept hitting it.

It continued to walk towards him, the pressure rapidly building up in its body.

A distinct sound of suction came from the blubber as it swelled before exploding,

splattering the floor and walls with blood. Raymond braced himself behind a display case

as it covered the area with its fluids, thankfully avoiding the explosive impact.

'_This one was a suicide bomber…'_ he mused as he peeked out from behind the case of

antique pottery. A key caught his eye, bending down to pick it up.

It was made of solid steel with an anchor on the hilt, turning it over in his hand idly.

These terrorists despised the world for its greed and frivolity, yet they chose to travel in

such a luxurious ship with all the privileges included-What a bizarre contradiction.

Placing the key in his pocket, Raymond continued down the hallway before opening the

door that lead back to the dining room. The eerie fog in the room unsettled him, even

though he knew that it was normal for ships to get a little foggy during the colder

seasons. Still, it made the cruise liner all the more ominous.

Hearing the door open he hid behind a pillar, listening in on the pair's conversation.

"We can open this now." Jill spoke to Parker as she slipped a key into the gate that

enclosed the elevator door. "How the hell does this thing even work?" Parker stared at the

polished wooden door, his hand touching the surface that was adorned with a compass.

"Ah, there's a switch here." The Italian pressed a button in the middle of the enormous

wheel, the pegs turning in a circular motion before the door opened.

Raymond peered out from behind the pillar to see the elevator doors close behind the

duo, crossing his arms as he gave the two agents time to progress before he followed

after them. He had assumed that they got off once the lights on the door turned green,

pressing the button on the wheel and waiting for the lift to come back up.

The elevator finally arrived, the doors opening for him.

Raymond walked inside the rectangular space and touched the other wheel on the end,

glancing back at the doors as they closed behind him.

Oddly, the clacking sound the machine made as it descended floors was somewhat

comforting. Hearing this instead of creaking as the ship rocked or rattling

air vents was a nice change, rolling his head and popping his neck with a sigh of relief.

Perhaps it was because it was a well-lit area, decorated with

lavish carpeting and cherry wood. It was a nice bonus that there were no ventilation

shafts, preventing monsters from sneaking up on him.

It would be fantastic if he actually got a break from these infected monstrosities…

The lift jerked ever so slightly as it slowed to a stop, its doors opening.

Raymond jumped when he heard another elevator down below close its doors with a

sharp creak, walking over to the railing and peering down to see that it was a lift leading

to the promenade. Looking at the map on his PDA revealed the location of the emergency

communications room, another console to destroy.

Walking along the second floor, he reached a locked gate that prevented entry through

another elevator. Noticing a scribbled note on a piece of paper taped to the wall,

Raymond realized that Parker and Jill probably went through the promenade to find the

key. He knew that he couldn't just sit here and wait for the gate to be unlocked-otherwise

the agents would get to the console before him and contact BSAA headquarters.

Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out a small lock picking set.

Bending down to his knees, Raymond attempted to unlock the gate with the various picks

he had brought with him-often cursing whenever he chose the wrong one to use.

After a half-hour, a sharp click sounded inside the brass lock.

Raymond breathed an exasperated sigh as he stood to his feet, pulling the black gate up

until it slid into the crevice above. _'About time…' _he thought begrudgingly.

After pressing the button in the wheel, the doors opened and he walked inside.

Raymond crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for the lift to

reach its destination. _'Come on, come on!'_

The doors opened and he immediately began to tug the plating on the console before

ripping and tearing at the wires, his pace quickening when the doors closed as the lift

ascended back up to the floor above.

He stopped fussing with the wires once the elevator arrived, the doors creaking open.

"Raymond!" Parker called to him.

Raymond glanced at the pair, thinking of an excuse as to why the console was no longer

functioning. "Looks like we're both too late.." he mumbled.

"What are you talking about?" Jill holstered her gun as she quirked an eyebrow.

Raymond raised his hands in the air and shrugged innocently.

A video started playing on one of the screens, displaying a Veltro member quoting

passages from _Dante's Divine Comedy_.

He must have hit a button that activated the recording.

"Both of you, look." Jill murmured to Parker and Raymond as she walked over to the

console, watching the screen. "Our little masked friend…" Parker murmured sarcastically

as he joined Jill. Raymond crossed his arms as he peered at the large screen, frowning at

the masked man's threats.

"This is the T-Abyss virus, and we are equipped to infect one-fifth of the earth's oceans."

The camouflaged terrorist spoke as he inserted a vial of red substance into a chrome

tube, injecting the fluid into a fish tank. Raymond looked closely at the red vial in the

man's hand. _'That must be the new virus…'_

It was apparent that this video was recorded at least a year ago, when the virus had been

completed. But since it was never released into the ocean, it was even more obvious that

something went wrong in their plan.

Jill gasped as the orange fish mutated, jumping back when they smacked

against the tank. Raymond narrowed his eyes at the sight of the warped fish,

astonished that they had mutated at such a fast rate.

If mere fish could turn into such violent monsters in a matter of minutes…

The thought of other sea life, and eventually humans once it reached the coastline, struck

anger and disgust in the redhead's heart.

It all made sense now that these bizarre creatures he had encountered throughout the ship

had been infected with a new strain, and it was also the very thing he had been ordered to

retrieve. But where was it hidden?

"We are Veltro, vengeful messengers from the depths of the inferno."

"Damn terrorists!" Parker snarled as he slammed his fist on the console.

"We killed these bastards already." Raymond spoke as he stared at the screen in disbelief.

"It looks like you missed a few. And they're on this ship." Jill looked back at the red

haired agent, countering his belief that all traces of Veltro had been destroyed.

"And now they want to use the virus to stage another attack?" Parker grit his teeth at the

thought of so many more lives being snuffed out, a far greater loss than Terragrigia.

"They seek the truth about Terragrigia, and vengeance…" Raymond unfolded his arms

before walking into the elevator and leaving the room.

As he waited for the lift to reach the top floor, he slipped his hands into his pockets.

Raymond quirked an eyebrow when his hand made contact with a bizarre object, pulling

it out and remembering that he still had this intricately decorated key.

'They could make better use of this than me…'

Once the doors opened he stepped out, pausing in his stride.

There was no chance of finding the virus at this rate; he would need help in accessing

other parts of the ship. With an irritated sigh, Raymond leaned back against a wall as he

waited for the agents to arrive. Taking this moment to rest allowed him to remember that

he still hadn't heard word from Rachael in hours, and it was beginning to worry him.

Raymond stood up straight when the elevator doors opened, revealing the pair.

"Raymond!" Jill was taken aback by the sight of the redhead, surprised that he had waited

for them. "Take it. You might need it." Raymond held the key out to the brunette.

Jill took the key gratefully, turning it over in her hand as she examined it.

"Go through the casino on the first floor, then you should find a lift that will take you to

the bilge." He directed the woman, crossing his arms as he stood idly.

Parker eyed the cadet suspiciously, huffing when Raymond simply looked away.

"But tell me something first…" he murmured.

"You didn't see any other FBC members here, did you?" Raymond looked up at the

brunette, trying his best to keep a straight face despite the worried tone in his voice.

"I can't reach my partner, Rachael. I haven't heard from her since she went to the bilge."

Jill's features softened as she looked down at the floor, remembering that blonde woman

in the medical room. "If we find her, we'll let you know." Jill nodded before walking up

the steps to make her way down the staircase, Parker following close behind.

"Should we look for this Rachael woman?" he could faintly hear Jill off in the distance.

"We can, after we bring back the ship's power." Raymond winced at Parker's final say in

the matter, regretting the decision to split up from the inexperienced agent.

'If she dies, it's all my fault…'

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Raymond grunted as he swung his legs over the broken window, unsure if he should take

comfort in the silence. After Parker and Jill went through the casino he waited for some

time before entering the gaudy room, finding a key with a trident decoration.

After going through the bilge he had found his way to what he hoped would be the ship's

hidden laboratory. Walking around a row of hard drives, he saw a lone computer on top

of a desk with some bookshelves. The bookshelves were vacant save for a few pages

containing complicated formulas and a notebook. Raymond picked up the white, three-

ringed binder and began to read the aged pages.

A mutagen had been discovered in the depths of the Kermadic trench and it was

combined with the T-virus, creating a new strain.

Closing the book, he realized that a handful of researchers had occupied this ship as well.

They spent over a year developing it, truly believing that it would somehow help

the world. How could they be so ignorant..?

These viruses only caused terror and death, it could never change the world for the better.

Raymond took the notes and begrudgingly stuffed them into his pockets, turning his

attention to the computer monitor.

The screen glowed, its glaring light cutting through the darkness of the room.

Looking at a tower beside the computer, he realized that it was a fingerprint scanner.

Removing his leather gloves, Raymond placed his left index finger in between the cross

hairs on the screen, waiting as the computer registered him as a guest user.

The computer beeped and a small window on the screen confirmed that he was approved.

Finding nothing else of use he hopped back over the broken window.

Raymond stopped in front of an electronic door, a keypad on the wall beside it.

He instantly placed his finger on the scanner, smirking when it beeped and the doors slid

open. This room was full of benches, hazmat suits and containers.

He realized that this must have been a type of changing room for the researchers,

changing out of their clothes and into the suits to prevent the spread of infection.

'_A lot of good that did.'_ He thought bitterly.

It seemed rather useless to wear one of the suits now, hoping that the system would allow

him to pass through without it.

Sucking in a calming breath, Raymond walked into one of the passages and stopped

when the door slid shut behind him. 'Please enter the sterilization room one at a time.'

Raymond placed one hand on his hip as he waited for the process to be completed.

'Now sterilizing. Please wait.'

He lowered his gaze down to the floor and squinted when the bright blue lights circulated

around him. 'Sterilization complete.' Raymond sighed when the doors slid open, walking

out the other end, thankful that he hadn't become trapped.

There was a giant fish tank in the middle of the room, set between two staircases.

The room was illuminated with pale blue light that emanated from the tank, orange fish

swimming innocently in the encased water.

He would've felt more at ease if he hadn't seen the blood that was smeared

along the tank's surface. From the look of it, it was fresh.

One glance around the room revealed the absence of a corpse.

Raymond quickened his stride as he made his way to the elevator, hoping to get what he

came for and leave before whatever left those blood stains came back.

The elevator doors opened up to reveal a long hallway that was covered in tarps.

The hallway looked clean and sterile, he was definitely getting close.

Raymond walked along the white tunnel, noticing a large door on the other end.

Once he reached the door, he pressed a few buttons that made the steel pegs recede from

their places in the wall. The door groaned from the lack of use, slowly swinging open.

Raymond gaped at the sight before him, spouts on the walls and the entire bottom floor

flowing with red liquid. The entire room was engulfed in the virus.

'Oh god…'

Was Veltro planning to sink their ship with this virus?

The whole world would be infected in a matter of days…

This was beyond what he had expected to find on The Queen Zenobia.

There was no way he could just leave this ship with the virus still intact, it was still a

threat. Raymond vowed to lead the BSAA down here and help them destroy it.

But for now, he still had to fulfill his mission.

Finally tearing his eyes away from the sight, Raymond hurried down the walkway and

reached a steel door. Placing his finger on the scanner, he opened the door and walked

inside, finding himself in a lab. _'This must've been where they researched the virus.'_

He opened drawers and cabinets, finding nothing but broken test tubes and other supplies.

His orders were to obtain a sample of the T-Abyss virus, the vaccine and the research

notes. Only then would his end of the deal be fulfilled.

Raymond opened the next door that went through a small hall before walking into

another lab. This room seemed different from the last, giving him an eerie feeling.

There was a steel table in the middle of the room that was covered in papers and vials,

but it looked like an examining table. The small doors on the walls didn't strike him as

cabinets. His curiosity getting the better of him, Raymond pushed a button on one of the

small compartments on a wall. The door opened and a long metal tray slid out, containing

a mutated corpse. The body on the tray was exactly like the one he encountered earlier,

except it was frozen in some peculiar position. _'They keep frozen specimens in here!'_

Raymond's eyes widened at the sight and he quickly pressed the button

again, the tray sliding back in place with the door closing behind it.

It was apparent now that this lab's sole purpose was to research the performed autopsies.

The redhead now realized that he was surrounded by corpses, some of which may not

entirely be dead. He shivered at the thought, wanting to get what he needed and leave.

He saw a computer in a small corner and walked over to it, scoffing when the screen was

cracked and displaying error messages.

There was a book lying beside the keyboard along with some scattered papers.

Raymond picked up the book and read it, realizing that this was a journal belonging to

one of Veltro's operatives. Morgan had financed all of Veltro's equipment and provided

them with means of producing the virus. _'So he was behind this after all…' _he frowned at

the journal in his hands before dropping it back onto the table.

Unfortunately, this wasn't enough proof to prosecute Lansdale, the journal was written by

a Veltro member-it was hearsay.

Turning his attention to the table behind him, Raymond began to sift through the papers.

Some pages were failed experiments while others were littered with even more formulas.

Finally, he came across what looked to be a report.

The document clearly detailed the virus' results and the researchers had theorized if it

was released in the ocean, the effects would be devastating.

The belief that they were possibly planning to sink the ship didn't seem so farfetched

now. Raymond wasn't sure if he had found the formula for the vaccine yet, deciding to

fold up and pocket the majority of the documents that were scattered on the table.

He walked over to the end of the room and opened another door, his breath hitching at the

sight of a giant tube that was filled with the T-Abyss virus.

Raymond walked closer to the center of the room and noticed a console in front of the

contraption, experimenting with a few buttons.

Judging from the options on the screen, it seemed that he could gather a sample of the

virus. Hurrying back into the lab, he grabbed one of the few tubes that weren't broken.

Raymond returned to the center and walked around the side before finding a distributing

mechanism, placing the glass tube into a slot and pressing a few switches before the glass

was filled to the rim with blood-red liquid. He then took out an air tight container and

gently slipped the vial inside to prevent it from breaking.

Once the sample was secured he clicked the container's buckles onto his belt.

The very source of the horrific mutations he had witnessed on this ship were now

attached to his hip, feeling disgusted with himself.

After all that he had been through, after coming so far, it was too late to turn back now.

He didn't expect to be forgiven, all he wanted was for it to be over and done with.

Raymond noticed an elevator on the other end of the platform, wondering just how much

further could he travel on this ship.

Pressing the button and entering the elevator, he waited for whatever was to come.

The doors opened, revealing a room with several steel pillars.

Raymond leaned forward enough to see the corpse of a man, a human.

For once, he was actually happy to see a human body for a change.

Raymond yelped and covered his arm when he stepped further into the room.

Looking down, he saw that the sleeve of his white shirt was torn and stained with blood.

His left forearm had been cut.

Looking around the room, he could see nothing but the pillars, the corpse and a door.

He noticed a wrench and picked it up from the floor before tossing it.

A spark ignited in the air with a sharp fizzle, cutting the wrench in half.

It was impossible to proceed if he couldn't see where the lasers were, leaving him with

no choice but to turn back. Huffing at the turn of events, Raymond stepped back into the

elevator and waited to return to the upper level.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Raymond made his way towards the lift in the bilge, grateful to be out of the laboratory.

The ship suddenly jerked to the side, knocking him off balance.

He grunted as he stood to his feet, wincing when an alarm sounded. _'The hell…?'_

A low rumble soon followed, getting closer and closer.

Various shafts began to burst apart, filling the room with water.

Raymond sucked in a breath of air as the water washed over him, blinking as his eyes

tried to adjust to his murky surroundings. _'Shit! the ship's starting to flood.' _

The redhead kicked his feet and swung his arms as he began to swim back up to the

surface, hoping that the bilge wasn't completely flooded.

Once his head broke the surface of the water, he gasped desperately.

Coughing as oxygen rushed to his lungs, he swam to the edge of the platform before

pulling himself out. Raymond grimaced as his clothes clung to his body as he stood up,

walking towards the shaft that led back to the casino, brushing his matted fringe away

from his face. He shivered as he climbed down the ladder, hoping to find a towel and dry

off before he succumbed to hypothermia.

The faint music drifted to his ears as he climbed the ladder back up to the VIP room,

hoping that the flood wouldn't spread. Trembling fingers wrapped around the doorknob

as he opened the door, the flashing lights of the slot machines greeting him.

The last place he remembered seeing a towel was the guestroom, cursing his luck.

Raymond straightened up and quickened his pace towards the stairs leading to the lift,

stepping inside and wiping at his wet hair.

Once the doors opened he took care as he walked along the tiled floor, his leather shoes

squeaking at an irritatingly high pitch.

After making his way through the dining room, he went upstairs and retrieved a few

towels from one of the guestrooms' bathrooms, furiously rubbing a towel on his hair.

As he continued to walk back downstairs to get into the lift, he began to wipe at his face

and arms with a sigh of relief. He would need to change into some fresh clothes…

Raymond jumped when his cell phone rung noisily in his pocket, fumbling for it.

The name O'Brien was printed on the screen, flipping it open before pressing a button.

"O'Brien?" he winced when the elevator doors squeaked open, stepping out.

"Raymond, I've got some bad news." O'Brien sighed.

"What is it, sir?" the redhead walked along the hallway as he spoke on the phone.

"Morgan is onto us, he's found The Queen Zenobia and he's reactivating the Regia

Solis." O'Brien continued. Raymond froze and the memory of Terragrigia being

decimated by the satellite crossed his mind, his eyes narrowing.

"He's allowed access? I thought the satellite was disengaged after what happened to

Terragrigia." Raymond's tone became firm as he walked downstairs, unable to stand still

when the news of a possible death sentence was murmured in his ear.

"He's the Commissioner, he can do whatever he deems necessary." O'Brien sighed in

frustration, causing the redhead to grit his teeth in anger. _'That bastard!'_

"Listen closely, one of my agents has discovered a solution to throwing off the satellite's

targeting system. There is a UAV on the foredeck, use it to confuse the satellite."

Raymond felt hope surge through him knowing that there was still a fighting chance.

"I see…I'll do what I can to stop the Regia-" Raymond paused when he heard footsteps

coming down the stairs, turning around to see Parker and Jill approaching. "I have to go."

Raymond hung up his phone and turned to face the approaching agents.

"Do you want to die with Veltro, or do you want to live?" Raymond called out to them in

an authoritative tone, surprise spreading across the duo's faces.

"Head to the foredeck." He then nodded his head in the direction of the door behind him.

Parker frowned and opened his mouth to speak, closing it when Jill moved forward.

"I'll do what I can here." The redhead called after them.

Once the doors of the lift closed, he rubbed his face and released a frustrated breath.

In all honesty, there was nothing he could do to help stop the satellite.

He doubted Jill and Parker found the virus yet and knew that he had to guide them to it.

Picking the towels up from where he dropped them on the floor, he walked upstairs to

return to the casino.

Once the elevator reached the casino and the doors opened, Raymond hurried down the

stairs towards the door near the fountain. Taking the trident key from his pocket, he

unlocked the door and entered the small room.

The room was decorated with expensive furniture and creamy wallpaper, a cash register

sitting haphazardly on a counter. Raymond had assumed that this was probably the casino

manager's room, judging from the fancy décor and containers of cards and chips.

Keeping the towels close at hand, he hurried up the small staircase before tossing them

down on a sofa-eyeing the adjoining balcony that overlooked the casino.

While searching for evidence on Lansdale he came upon this room and used it as a

makeshift base of operations, having hidden his Veltro uniform and supplies here.

Raymond cleaned his pockets of all the random junk that he accumulated over the past

three hours, setting them on a polished wooden table.

The papers he scavenged were soaking wet from the flood, gently unfolding them before

placing them on the table to dry. He was thankful that the sample hadn't broke when he

fell in the bilge, hoping that it would hold out long enough to make it to his employers.

Raymond began taking off his FBC uniform piece by piece, peeling the soaked layers

from his skin with a disgusted grimace. Grabbing a towel, he began to dry his arms and

legs before wrapping it around his waist. Raymond sighed as he stepped into the

camouflage pants, thankful to be warm and dry again.

The ship rocked violently to the side, throwing everything that wasn't nailed down to the

other end. Raymond cried out when he lost his balance and rolled along the floor,

stopping just short in front of a cabinet.

"Damn it…" he grumbled as he stood up from the floor, rubbing a tender spot on his hip.

When the ship stopped rocking, he realized that everything was still intact.

Were Parker and Jill successful in stopping the Regia Solis…?

If that was the case, he now had the perfect opportunity to reveal himself and help them

discover the hidden laboratory in the ship's hull.

Once his boots were laced, he grabbed a medkit and began to bandage the cut on his arm.

He sat down on the sofa and ripped open a packet of disinfecting wipes, hissing as he

gently dabbed at the sliced skin. He hoped that the water he swam in wasn't infected…

Biting down on one end of the gauze, Raymond took the other end in his hand and began

to wrap the layers around his forearm, grunting painfully when he tightened the knots.

Sighing in relief when he was finished, the pain still throbbing in his arm, he grabbed the

green coat and slipped it on. While fastening the belts on the uniform, he glanced down at

the heap of clothes on the floor. The uniform he wore now had taken the place of his FBC

uniform, everything he ever believed in and fought for was now lying in a sopping wet

mess while the symbol of the force he fought against clung to his form fittingly.

This was the path that was bestowed upon him, there was no going back to the past…

After pulling the black ski mask over his head, he placed the gas mask over his face.

Placing the documents and airtight container into his pockets, he checked his gun while

restocking the pouches on his belt before sitting back down on the sofa.

Now, all he had to do was wait for the BSAA agents to arrive.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Raymond perked up at the sound of a door opening inside the casino, standing up to

silently open the balcony door to peer over the ledge.

'_They made it…'_ he smiled under the mask and clapped his hands.

"Do you hear that?" Jill murmured to her partner as she looked around the room.

"There!" the brunette announced before aiming her gun up at him, Parker joining suit.

Raymond stopped clapping, a coy chuckle escaping past his lips.

"Veltro! You almost missed the party." Parker narrowed his eyes at the masked figure.

Raymond raised his arms to show that he was unarmed and meant no harm to them.

"Friendly BSAA patrons. You stopped the Regia Solis. Now I will reveal what I know."

Jill and Parker's aim faltered as they listened to him speak, yet refused to lower their

guns. "Everything about The Queen Zenobia and the secrets she keeps!" he declared.

"What secrets?" Parker cocked his head to the side, keeping his gun trained on the man.

"Consider this: First, why did it take till now to find The Queen Zenobia? How was it

able to float around the Mediterranean undetected? It wasn't magic.

Second, why did all traces of Veltro vanish after the Terragrigia Panic?"

"Why don't you tell us, huh?" Parker called out in an annoyed tone, fed up with the

man's games. Raymond failed to suppress a chuckle at the other agent's annoyance.

"And third…Why is someone trying to use the Regia Solis to destroy the Zenobia? The

answer to those questions will lead you to an inconvenient truth. If you were to have

found it, and that-" A gunshot sounded, a bullet piercing Raymond in the chest.

Crying out from the hit, he doubled over the railing and allowed himself to fall down to

the floor below. Raymond continued to lie on the floor, hearing footsteps rush over.

"Jessica, why did you fire?" he heard a man's voice call out.

"To protect our people, isn't that our job?" Jessica retorted.

'_Jessica…? You bitch…'_ he groaned from the painful impact.

"Don't you dare die." Parker snarled as he rolled the still body over, yanking off the

black ski mask. Parker froze when he saw that the mask revealed his former subordinate.

"Damn…Raymond?" the Italian spoke in disbelief. "Why..? Why play the part of

Veltro?" the brunette stared at the redhead sadly, realizing that a fatal blow had been

dealt to an ally, not a terrorist. Raymond opened his eyes, looking up at his superior and

struggled to form words after the painful drop from the balcony.

Parker quickly leaned in closer to hear what Raymond was trying to say.

"Morgan…is responsible, and Jessica was his mole in the BSAA." The redhead

whispered in the burly man's ear. "What do you mean?" Parker murmured uncertainly as

he eyed the cadet in disbelief. "Find..the truth about…Terragriga." Raymond whispered

before closing his eyes and dropping his head to the side.

He felt Parker touch his chest sympathetically, causing his heart to flutter at the contact.

"What a terrible loss…" the Italian mumbled sadly.

The ship groaned and rumbled, tilting the room and its occupants.

Oddly, Raymond was thankful to be on the floor when the ship rocked this time.

"This ship doesn't have much longer. We can't let this virus contaminate the sea." He

heard Jill speak after the rocking ceased. "We've already searched The Queen Semiramis,

so I think I know where this ship's lab is." That man spoke again, he had assumed this

must've been Redfield. "We're headed there now."

'_Well, good, at least I don't need to be the tour guide…'_ he mused.

"Alright. I'll try to find a way to delay the sinking." Parker spoke.

"Jessica, you with me?" Raymond's heart stopped at the realization that his superior was

purposely pairing himself up with the traitor in the group, fearing for his safety.

"Yeah…" Jessica hesitated in her answer. "Well, a little friendly partner swapping should

keep us on our toes." Parker continued, walking along the carpeted floor.

"Roger that. We'll take care of the virus, you two buy us some time." Chris responded

calmly. "Got it." Parker agreed, causing an anxious knot to form in Raymond's stomach.

His anxiety grew worse when it came time for Chris and Jill to go their separate way.

"He never got the hint, what a drag." Jessica mumbled bitterly.

"Maybe he's already taken, Jessica." Parker retorted coyly.

"Yeah, sure. Can we get started already?" Jessica sighed before walking away.

'Bruised ego? Serves you right for throwing yourself at every little thing that moves…'

"Sure. We've been through hell before, it's nothing new for us." The Italian responded,

albeit hesitantly. It was apparent that Parker knew full well what he was getting himself

into, and he was poorly putting up a front. "Yeah, just like old times. The good old FBC."

Jessica responded passively as she walked upstairs.

Once he heard the elevator doors close behind the pair, Raymond quickly sat up,

regretting the movement as the pain returned in his back.

He was grateful that he thought of wearing his bulletproof vest under the disguise,

should the BSAA ever think to shoot at him. Parker was alone with Jessica, he had to

help him. Raymond grunted as he slowly pushed himself up from the floor, stumbling

when he got to his feet before smoothing the sore spot on his chest.

Even though the bullet never passed through him, the impact still hurt like hell.

Raymond gripped the railing on the stairs and hurried up the steps, pressing the button on

the elevator and stepping inside. Bracing himself on the side wall, he licked his dry lips

as he tried to catch his breath. Finally, the doors opened and released him.

Rushing out of the enclosed space revealed an empty hall, looking in every direction for

the duo. Which way did they go? Where were they?

Raymond bent down and rested his hands on his knees as he tried to think, remembering

that the ship was still flooding and lowering the bulwarks was the best solution in

stalling the sinking. The controls for the bulwarks were on the bridge.

'_Then that's where I need to go.'_ Raymond dashed upstairs and ran along the hallway

until he reached the lift that led to the guest cabins. _'I'm coming Parker, wait for me!'_

When the doors opened, Raymond snarled in annoyance when the dining room was filled

with monsters. "Damn it, get the hell out of my way!" he shouted as he began shooting

each one in the head, pushing aside the ones that were stunned until he reached the

door on the other side of the room.

Raymond ran along the maze of hallways until he reached the hall where Parker had been

imprisoned, opening a door that lead to another elevator.

The redhead grunted when he practically threw himself against the wall before pressing

the call button and stepped inside the lift once it arrived.

Raymond reloaded his gun, glancing at the orange digits as it counted floors.

'You're not taking him from me…'

He had agreed to go through all this trouble to acquire the T-Abyss virus, he fulfilled his

end of the bargain. But if Jessica killed Parker, the deal was off.

He would _gladly_ put a bullet in her head for the hell she put him through, controlling him

like an obedient animal.

The doors slid open and he bolted across the hallway and up the stairs leading to the

bridge, swinging open the door just in time to see Jessica's hand hovering over a red

button on the console. _'She's going to destroy the ship, she'll kill us all!'_

Without a second thought, he fired a single shot, just missing her hand.

"Parker, subdue that woman." Raymond stepped further into the room with his gun aimed

at the wetsuit clad woman, his eyes never leaving her. "Raymond…how?" Parker spoke

in disbelief as he eyed the redhead. "But, you…You were…" Jessica's eyes widened in

surprise as she turned around to face the two men.

Raymond scoffed with a smug smirk, patting at his chest to reveal his FBC vest.

'Nice try, but you won't get rid of me that easily.'

"She's trying to activate the ship's self-destruct mechanism. To destroy the evidence."

Raymond announced to the Italian, narrowing his eyes at the woman.

"What?!" Parker gaped at the cadet, eyes switching from the redhead to the brunette.

"Guys, this is getting out of hand…Not funny!" Jessica laughed nervously, leaning back

against the console as her eyes flicked from Raymond to Parker.

'_Change of plans…'_

If Jessica was arrested and ousted as being a mole in the BSAA, the authorities could

force her to tell the truth about everything that has happened.

Best of all, if Morgan and Jessica revealed the identity of those responsible for having a

part in Terragrigia's downfall and providing a new virus to a group of terrorists,

maybe he could be freed from his contract. The virus he retrieved wouldn't need to be

handed over to protect his and Parker's skins, nor would it cause anyone harm if it didn't

fall into the wrong hands.

"Come on, say something. Parker, it's me." Jessica pleaded with the Italian, hoping to

sway his loyalty in her favor. Parker's aim faltered as he struggled with the decision to

trust his partner or his former subordinate.

The fact that Raymond disguised himself as a member of Veltro to rouse Morgan's fear

of being caught just didn't sit right with the burly man. The redhead that lied and hid the

truth until the last minute didn't sway his trust in the slightest, his former partner's pleas

tugging at his heartstrings and guilting him into not apprehending her.

"I can't trust you completely, not yet. Put your gun down, Raymond." Parker lowered his

arms and reached over to force Raymond's hand down.

"You're too soft! Don't be fooled, Parker." Raymond frowned and tried to reason with

his superior, his green eyes focused on the brunette's hazy blues.

'You don't believe me? I thought you had more faith in me…'

He should have known better than to believe that his own superior would take the word

of a pathetic rookie who lied and deceived him over a beautiful woman.

'_But I did it all to protect you…' _he felt a pang in his heart at the man's utter distrust.

A sharp click of a gun cocking made Raymond freeze, glancing back at the woman.

Taking his eyes off the enemy was the stupidest mistake in the book…

Surprise crossed Raymond's face as he looked at the smug woman, his muscles

tightening defensively as he braced himself for the impact.

This was it. He was going to be killed and Parker was probably going to join him.

'Fuck chivalry…'

Raymond gasped as Parker threw himself at him, shielding him from the gunshot.

Parker's arm draped on the redhead's shoulder uselessly, his body sinking to the floor.

"Parker!" Raymond gasped as he wrapped his arms around the Italian and helped ease

him to the floor, kneeling down to check his breathing.

Relief washed over him as he realized that the gunshot wound wasn't fatal, but his leg

had been impaired from the trauma of the blow.

"Stupid men…" Jessica mumbled before pressing the switch, causing the alarms to blare.

Raymond held onto Parker as he grasped his leg for support, panting in pain.

"I knew O'Brien had a lapdog…I'll tell Morgan it was you." Jessica smiled cruelly as she

slowly backed away from the console and made her way towards the door.

"Jessica!" Parker called out, failing to stop her.

"Don't worry about dinner, now we're even. I'm sorry, Parker." Jessica blew a kiss

before throwing the door open and taking off down the hall.

"Go after her…" Parker grunted as he gently pushed Raymond back.

"But, you-" Raymond hesitated, not wanting to leave the Italian to fend for himself.

"Raymond, go!" the brunette barked at him as he shoved Raymond away, bracing himself

on his hands and knees on the floor.

Raymond grunted when he was pushed, standing in place and looking back at the other

man. _'I can't just leave him here, the ship will explode and take him with it!'_

But he couldn't ignore his orders, and it was probably for the best to leave the man alone

to give him some time to calm down. Besides, he had a few choice words of his own to

share with the other woman. Coming to the conclusion to back off for now, Raymond

broke into a run and shut the door behind him as he left the room.

'Don't do anything stupid, Parker, I'm coming back for you.'

He caught sight of her just as she was getting into the elevator.

"Hey!" he shouted after her, slamming his hand on the door and prevented it from

closing. "Oh, decided to leave the old sea dog behind, did you?" she chuckled.

"None of this was part of the deal!" Raymond snarled at her, refusing to remove his hand.

"Raymond, sweetie, anything goes in this business. I thought I told you that already."

Jessica sighed and rolled her eyes at the redhead.

"We had an agreement, I kept my end of the bargain." Raymond narrowed his eyes.

"Parker is still alive, isn't he?" Jessica shrugged innocently.

"If you lay one finger on him I'll-!"

"You'll what? Raymond, I'm on your side. If anything happens to me, I can't deflect

whatever the company decides to throw your way. You _need _me." She narrowed her

eyes, breaking into a cruel smile when Raymond stayed silent.

"Did you get it?" she brushed back her bangs with a huff, looking down at his utility belt

that held the container for the virus.

"Yeah, I got it." Raymond's gaze lowered to the floor shamefully.

"Good boy, give me a call when things cool down and you can give it to me." Jessica

smiled sweetly as she patted the redhead on the cheek.

Raymond finally let go of the elevator door, separating the two of them as it closed.

'_I'll get you back for this one day, just you wait.'_ His fists tightened as he seethed.

Putting his grudge aside, he hurried back to the bridge to help Parker.

Opening the door, he saw that the Italian was no longer in the room.

"Parker?" Raymond called as he stepped into the room, seeing a small trail of blood

that went downstairs. Parker went off on his own…

'_He couldn't have gone far.'_ Raymond went downstairs and followed the spatters on the

floor until he reached the elevator.

'He must be trying to regroup with Redfield and Valentine.'

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

After attempting to reach the lab, he realized that all entrances to the lower hull had been

destroyed in the fire. But he refused to give up, he would not stop until he had searched

everywhere for the Italian. Raymond realized that there was only one other area left to

check, the emergency passage. It was the safest path to the outside of the ship.

Quickening his pace, he threw open a door and covered his face when a barrel of oil burst

from the surrounding flames. "Foooound…Yooou…" a soft voice echoed in the hallway.

Raymond froze at the faint sound, wondering if his mind was playing tricks on him.

He heard a distinct, wet thud on the ground off in the distance.

Raymond unholstered his gun and took a few steps forward with the intent of passing by

whatever creature he was about to encounter.

A shrill scream filled the air, causing shivers to run up his spine.

"Raymond…." He froze at the sight of what he hoped was an illusion.

"Rachael…?" the redhead breathed as the woman came closer into view, the raging

flames accentuating her gory features.

The long blonde hair was now wrapped around her neck and looked to be made of

gelatin rather than its former fair strands.

Her skin had turned into a sickly, almost purple hue.

The black and orange wetsuit was ripped to shreds, her arms and legs stretched beyond

unfathomable limits, giving her an inhuman stature.

"Soo thirsty…" the blonde gurgled wantonly, stumbling towards her former partner.

"Rachael…No, this can't be…" Raymond backed away as he kept his gun trained on her.

"You're mine…!" Rachael cried out as her arms reached for the stunned man, wrapping

around his torso. Raymond grunted as he pushed his hands against her chest, holding her

back. Rachael giggled as her head split apart, a pale, fleshy mass with teeth slipping out

of the gaping hole. Raymond dry heaved as the slimy appendage reached out for him,

making gushing sounds as the muscles contracted in anticipation for its next meal.

Raymond kicked at her shin, taking advantage of her loss of footing and shoved her

back. He aimed his gun again and began shooting at her, wincing at the horrible wails she

made before she rushed towards him in desperation. "It huurrts….It hurrts!"

"Tasty!" Rachael cried out and lumbered after the redhead, wailing in frustration

whenever he shot at her. Raymond dodged out of the way and ran to the other end of the

hallway, taking a few more shots. How was this possible?

How could she turn into something like this?

He couldn't afford to waste time like this, he had to find Parker!

But she deserved to be put out of her misery.

Raymond continued to fire at her head, seeming to do more damage when her 'tongue'

hung out from the opening in her skull.

Rachael stumbled back after each shot, grunting at the impact.

Each bullet that lodged in her body, a wet gush sounded, spurting blood.

Why was she sent on this mission with him, why her?

She had no experience in dealing with BOWs, certainly not terrorists.

She wasn't prepared, and he wasn't qualified to train her himself.

He shouldn't have left her alone…

He failed her.

'Forgive me…'

Rachael screeched before crumpling to the floor in a bloody heap, crawling along the

floor towards the redhead. "S-someone…Help me..!" she sobbed in a broken voice.

Raymond fired four consecutive shots into her skull before she finally slumped at his

feet, remaining still. Tears stung Raymond's eyes as his fingers shakily reloaded his gun.

After all the creatures he had fought over the years, he had never expected to fight

something like this-something that mirrored what a human used to be.

In training, he had always been told that the forces he would fight against were nothing

but monsters-eliminating them and protecting innocent lives was top priority.

They were monsters, abominations that were birthed from man's infernal devices.

They spread fear and pain wherever they treaded, leaving chaos in their wake.

They felt no guilt, dealt no mercy.

But he had never realized that they were once human beings.

Rachael wasn't a monster, she didn't deserve to die like this.

He couldn't just leave her exposed like this.

Raymond pulled a sheet out from behind a crate, covering her tattered body.

Before standing up, he caught a glimpse of her outstretched hand that peeked out from

under the tarp. Fitted to her bloody wrist was her FBC issued watch, the glass on the

clock face smashed and the hour hands stopped on 9:40.

9:15 was the last time they made contact.

Raymond bowed his head at the realization that Rachael had fought for her life while he

was running around playing head games with the BSAA.

Twenty-five, long, agonizing minutes, alone.

"I'm so sorry, Rachael…" he whispered.

From this moment on, he vowed that this would never happen to anyone ever again.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Raymond opened the last remaining door that wasn't welded shut from the flames.

Peering into what appeared to be the boiler room, he heard uneven clattering on the metal

flooring. With his gun drawn, he cautiously advanced forward.

The sight of a certain Italian cradling his bum leg, limping along with pained grunts,

filled the redhead with relief. Raymond stepped forward, dropping his arm to his side

idly. Parker paused in his trek, looking up at the other man in disbelief.

"How could you…?" he asked pointedly.

"Jessica escaped." Raymond holstered his gun before walking over to the Italian,

wrapping his right arm around his shoulders and clasping his wrist securely.

"We were so close…" he mumbled in disappointment at his failure to apprehend the

woman. Unfortunately, even if he wanted to, he couldn't have stopped her.

Jessica was the middleman in this mess, and he had no choice but to let her go.

Being close to the brunette made him feel safe, grateful that he was no longer alone.

"Hey, I'm sorry, Raymond." Parker mumbled, gently pulling his arm away from the

redhead and pushing him back. "You were right, all along." He grunted painfully before

dropping onto the floor, grasping his injured leg. "Thank god somebody was on top of

things." He sighed regretfully, bowing his head. Raymond looked at the other man sadly,

hoping that he wasn't planning to let himself die here.

'We've come so far, we can't give up now.'

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Parker." Raymond sympathized with the brunette, bending

down to collect him once more. "Now it's my turn to save you. Come on, we're getting

out of here." He helped the other man stand up, insisting that they escape together.

Parker grunted in surprise as he was lifted off the floor.

"That's the spirit, cadet." He smiled at the redhead's perseverance.

Raymond, taken aback by the Italian's fond nickname, smiled as he recalled Parker

saving him in Terragrigia-happy to finally return the favor.

'_You idiot..'_ he mused.

A pipe dropped from above and clattered to the floor, breaking the men from their

reverie. "We have to go, now." Raymond grit his teeth as he helped Parker walk.

Parker grunted as he tried to walk faster, not wanting to slow the redhead down.

The Italian cried out when a pipe burst, covering his face when a chunk of it blew across

the room before smashing into the other wall.

Flaming pipes and sheet metal clattered on the floor around them, narrowly missing

them. Raymond wiped the sweat off his brow, kicking debris out of their way.

The heat was unbearably stifling, panting as they maneuvered around scraps of the ship.

"I think I remember seeing some lifeboats on the side deck." Parker breathed, licking his

lips free of sweat. "The currents are too strong, we need to get to the helicopter."

Raymond grunted as he pulled the door shut behind them, breathing a sigh of relief.

"We just need to get to the roof." Parker quirked an eyebrow at this. "Helicopter?"

"Rachael and I arrived here in one, it should still be there." He wiped at his forehead.

"Alright then, we can try going there." The brunette nodded, readjusting his grip on the

other man's shoulder.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Raymond pursed his lips and continued to tug Parker along the foredeck, looking at the

other man worriedly when his breathing became labored.

"Raymond…I'm just slowing you down..You should go on without me." Parker

breathed, gritting his teeth as he tried to muster the strength to stand up and walk straight.

Raymond knew that he was losing blood, the gunshot wound tearing open the more they

walked. "I'm not leaving you behind, we can make it." He grunted as he felt himself

losing more energy. Despite the training he received to preserve his stamina, he just

wasn't prepared to stay awake for twenty-four hours and traverse a cruise ship.

It was beginning to take a toll on the both of them.

Raymond spotted an emergency ladder near a window, unholstering his gun to shoot at

the claw that held it up. "Can you climb?" he grabbed hold of the steel ladder, steadying

Parker with his other hand. "I'll try." Parker sighed before grabbing the rungs, lifting his

good leg up first. Raymond began climbing the ladder as soon as the brunette reached the

top, slipping on a rung when he rushed. "Take your time." Parker reassured the cadet.

Raymond huffed and continued his ascent, pausing when he heard a familiar screech.

"God damn it.." Parker snarled, confirming his fear. "Raymond, keep going!"

Raymond chanced a glance behind his shoulder, spotting a Hunter. "Fuck!"

"Keep climbing, I'll take care of it!" Parker shouted as he unholstered his handgun, firing

at the green monstrosity. Raymond continued to climb the ladder, the adrenaline coursing

through his veins. "Shit, I pissed it off." Parker grumbled when the creature crouched

and released a high pitched screech before charging towards the ladder.

Raymond reached the top of the ladder, crying out when the ship dipped.

He quickly climbed up onto the roof to join Parker, rolling towards him as the ship's nose

raised up. The Hunter leapt onto the roof, releasing a roar before charging towards the

men. Raymond fired at the scaly beast, his aim sharper than the anemic Italian.

A bullet between the eyes knocked the Hunter off balance, falling backwards onto the

deck below. "Hurry, before it comes back!" Parker grunted as he tried to stand, Raymond

grabbing onto him and pulled him towards the helicopter.

He opened the back door of the chopper, helping Parker step inside before shutting it

again. Raymond noticed the explosions at the back end of the ship.

Despite the odds that were against them, he refused to surrender now.

Cursing as he jumped into the pilot's seat, he started the engine, the propellers beginning

to spin. Finally, he was able to push the wheel down, allowing the chopper to lift off the

ground. Raymond breathed a sigh of relief as they rose higher in the air, seeing the

explosions beginning to engulf the ship.

"I told you we'd make it." His smirk faded when he received no response.

"Parker?"

He looked behind his seat to see Parker sprawled out on the back seat.

His skin was getting paler, his breathing shallow.

If he didn't hurry, his commander would die.

"Hang on, Parker, I'll get you to a doctor." Raymond checked the map for the closest

hospital, opting to fly to Malta as quickly as possible.

He had to multitask, having to keep an eye on the ocean and the radar for the hospital

while also looking back to make sure the Italian was still alive.

Dawn had come, the golden sun just peeking out from beyond the horizon.

The light shone on the dark blue sea, the beams dancing along the waves.

It all was bittersweet comfort, but he was thankful that the light would help him find land.

His eyes finally caught sight of an islet, a blur of beige and brown far below.

Raymond flew closer, hovering over the buildings until he found the telltale cross.

It took a great deal of patience to gently land the aircraft on the helipad, touching down

before shutting off the engine and throwing his door open.

While opening the back door, a few nurses walked out to see why a helicopter landed on

their building. "Help us!" he called over to them, trying to remember how to translate it

into Italian. Then, remembering a few words that Lou had taught him, he began to call

out to them once more. "Aiuto!" {Help!} he shouted again, grabbing their attention.

Raymond wrapped his arms around Parker, hoisting him up into a sitting position as the

nurses called for backup. When he saw four nurses and a doctor rush over with a cart he

pulled the brunette out of the chopper and laid him down on the mattress.

He grabbed one of the handles of the cart and helped push the burly man into the

building, hitting the elevator button.

"Cosa è successo?" {What happened?}

the doctor asked Raymond, gesturing to the unconscious man.

A few of the nurses looked at Parker, wondering why he was wearing so much gear over

a wetsuit, before looking at Raymond.

It was only natural for the doctor and nurses to be concerned, after all, he and Parker

were armed men and arrived at daybreak. Who wouldn't be suspicious of them?

He knew that there would be a lot of explaining to do, but he didn't want to say

something by mistake and cause a scare-it was best to speak with someone who would

understand him.

"Do you speak English?" Raymond asked the other man, hoping that he understood.

"Yes, I speak English." The doctor nodded, Raymond closed his eyes in relief.

"Now, tell me what happened." He repeated calmly.

"He was shot, in the leg." He pointed to Parker's left thigh, acknowledging his gunshot

wound. "Can you help him?"

"Yes, we'll prep him for surgery and have him all fixed up." He gave an encouraging

smile. "Do you know what his blood type is?" Raymond froze at the question.

"Never mind, we'll run a blood test and find out." The doctor spoke just as the elevator

doors opened, pushing the cart out slowly before heading towards a door.

He followed them into the operating room, helping to lift Parker onto a bed.

A nurse took a pair of scissors and began to cut the wetsuit apart, starting from the neck

to the hip before cutting along the legs. Another nurse cut the sleeves of the suit, tugging

the shredded strands from underneath the dead weight.

"Sir, sit over there, she'll take a sample of your blood." The graying doctor pointed to a

chair near a counter. Raymond hesitated in leaving Parker's side but did as he was told,

taking a seat and rolling up his sleeve.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to have his own blood checked since he just escaped a monster

ridden hellhole. What would he do if he was infected…?

A young nurse with short brown hair smiled shyly as she pulled gloves onto her hands,

unraveling a needle from a packet. Raymond ignored the small jab in his arm, watching

as they worked on his former commander. _'Don't die, Parker, not now…'_

"What is your name?" the nurse's question broke his thoughts.

"Raymond Vester. His name is Parker Luciani." He nodded at the unconscious figure on

the bed, never taking his eyes away from him.

"Would you like to wait in the waiting room?" she asked as she scribbled his name on the

vile of his blood, looking up at him when he didn't answer. "I'm not leaving him."

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Raymond sat beside Parker as he slept, resting his elbows on his knees.

Time seemed nonexistent in this place.

He remembered coming in with Parker, watching as they pulled the bullet that was

lodged in his leg. But after that, nothing else seemed to register until the moment they

said he was welcome to sit by his 'friend'. The only conclusion he could draw up was

that he was probably tired, maybe even hungry. Yet, all he wanted to do was sit there.

He didn't think, he didn't feel, and he didn't want to care.

The redhead sighed and rested his head on his folded arms, near Parker's arm.

He just wanted to forget…

"Ah, sorry to bother you, Mr. Vester. But the blood test results are in." the doctor, Marco

as he preferred to be called, whispered to the red haired man.

Raymond sat up and rubbed the back of his neck, eyeing the man expectantly.

"The two of you are in good health, no abnormalities." The aged man smiled warmly.

Well, that was surprising news…

"We're going to have Mr. Luciani prepped for a blood transfusion."

"Do you want mine?" he offered. "Your blood type is AB+, you can only donate blood to

other AB types. But it's alright, we have a good supply that matches his."

Raymond nodded, leaning back in his chair.

"Meanwhile, you should eat and get some rest, you look exhausted." Marco smiled

sympathetically. "I'd rather stay here with him. I want to be here when he wakes up."

"I understand. I'll have a nurse bring you something to eat." Marco scribbled a few notes

before quietly leaving the room, closing the door behind him.

Raymond scooted his chair closer to the bed and laid his head back down, holding

Parker's hand as he drifted off to sleep.

He felt himself slowly begin to wake up, hearing some shuffling in the room.

Raymond lifted his head up, startling a blonde nurse who was about to insert an IV into

Parker's hand. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." She apologized.

One glance at the plastic bag revealed that it was only a transfusion pack.

"It's alright, I'm glad you did." He stretched with a groan, his muscles popping.

"You two must be really close, hm?" she smiled at the redhead as she inserted the needle,

slipping a piece of tape over it once it was placed.

"We worked together." He mumbled, cupping his chin in his hand.

"If you say so…" she stifled a giggle, Raymond raising an eyebrow in response.

"Hey, there's a sandwich there for you." The blonde pointed to a plate on the table beside

him. The plate contained a sandwich with slices of turkey and cheese and a vanilla soda.

"Oh, thanks…" Raymond grabbed the plate and began to slowly nibble at the sandwich,

taking bigger bites when he realized how hungry he was. "Will he be alright?" he wiped

his mouth and looked up at the nurse worriedly. "Don't worry, it was a simple operation.

A few day's rest is all he'll need, but it will take some time for his wound to heal.." she

checked the brunette's pulse and looked at her watch as she timed his heartbeats.

Raymond smiled at the news, thankful that the Italian was going to be just fine.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

He hadn't realized he fell asleep again until he became vaguely aware that someone was

touching his head. Yet, he didn't feel afraid of this particular touch.

It was calming…

He felt the fingertips massaging his scalp, brushing his hair soothingly.

A smile spread across his lips, feeling the hand stroke the back of his head.

Raymond released a soft sound as he began opening his eyes, surprised to see Parker

awake. "Morning, cadet…" the brunette murmured, a smile spreading across his face.

"Parker…?" Raymond perked up, realizing a blanket was draped over him as he sat in his

chair. Although he felt embarrassed and unprofessional, sitting here and being touched by

his superior like this, he didn't sit up. _'This is….nice.'_

"You're okay?" he finally lifted his head to look the brunette in the eye.

"I'm better now, thanks. But are you alright?" Parker lifted his hand away from the mess

of red hair, clasping his hands together on his stomach.

"Fine.." Raymond sat up in his seat, fingering the wool blanket on his shoulders.

"Good." The brunette nodded, brushing his bangs away from his face.

"You probably want to contact-" Parker touched his fingertips to Raymond's lips,

shushing him. "In good time. Let's leave it be, for now."

Raymond felt himself lightly blush at the contact, remaining quiet.

"Then, what do we do?" he raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not going anywhere for awhile, that's for sure." The Italian chuckled.

"You might want to get a change of clothes, though." His fingers lightly tugged on the

black collar of the undershirt Raymond was wearing. "You look like…well, a terrorist."

Raymond snorted at the pun, cupping his cheek in his hand.

"That's not a bad idea." He mused.

He couldn't stop staring at Parker, admiring his tussled hair and bare chest and shoulders

peeking out from under the sheets.

This wasn't the time to dawdle…

"Alright then, I'll go check out some of the stores."

"We should check into a hotel, too. The doctor says that I can leave the hospital as soon

as tomorrow, but I should stay off my feet for awhile." Parker scratched at his stubble.

Raymond sat up from the chair with a pained groan, walking over to a table before he

began to take off his gun and ammo pouches. He then took off the green overcoat,

leaving him in the black undershirt, camouflage pants and combat boots.

"Okay, I'll be back in a little while." He smoothed his hair back as he walked towards the

door. "Be sure to eat something." He looked at Parker before shutting it behind him.

Raymond didn't appreciate the stares he received from people as he walked by, but it was

better than the ones he got earlier when he was dressed in full combat gear.

He missed wearing his FBC uniform, at least when he wore that he knew the stares he

received were out of respect for what he stood for.

He chose the first store that looked somewhat decent, opening the door and ducking in.

He didn't want anything fancy, and he doubted Parker would want anything that drew

attention either. Something simple and comfortable.

Browsing through a few stands, he picked out socks and underwear-it was a start.

Taking in account that Parker still had his injured leg to worry about, he picked out some

sweat pants and shirts. For himself, he chose black slacks and white button up shirts.

To be on the safe side, he also chose some khaki pants and a few button up shirts for

Parker, along with a pair of shoes.

Raymond went into a changing room and put on a pair slacks and a shirt, lacing up a pair

of leather shoes. Breathing a sigh of relief, he felt much better having something different

to wear. It seemed so trivial, but changing ones look really could work miracles on the

psyche. As soon as he got the chance, he was going to trash that Veltro uniform…

Picking up the cart of clothing, he walked up to the registered, thankful that he still

carried his credit card in his wallet.

After leaving the clothing store, he bought a few toiletries before looking at some of the

hotels, picking one that was closest to the hospital.

Walking up to the front desk, Raymond leaned on the counter casually.

"A room for two."

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

It had been two days since they arrived in Malta, Parker enjoyed the nice weather while

Raymond was going a bit stir-crazy, wondering what the next step was.

While he was relieved to be away from The Queen Zenobia and the hell spawn that

occupied it, he also felt somewhat cut off from the rest of the world.

He sat in a chair by the window, one leg crossed over the other.

The few books he bought didn't interest him all that much, finding it hard to let go.

He felt restless, that much he knew.

For the first time today, he was able to enjoy the view of the beach far off in the distance.

A sigh broke him away from his thoughts. "Do you want to order dinner, Raymond?"

Parker, on the other hand, was more at ease.

The painkillers the doctors gave the Italian along with the recommendation to not move

around much only left him with options of napping, showering and watching tv.

He didn't seem to mind it all that much, a long overdue vacation, perhaps?

"Order whatever you want." He replied absentmindedly.

"I can have you?" Parker drawled, laughing when Raymond was snapped from his

thoughts and gaped at him. "I'm joking. I'll order us a pizza, it's been a long time since

I've had real pizza." The brunette chuckled as he picked up the phone, dialing for take

out. Raymond wasn't sure if it was the drugs or being cooped up in the hotel room, but

Parker had become rather frisky since he left the hospital.

Once the pizza arrived, Parker set it down on the table in front of the dazed redhead.

"Are you alright, Raymond? You've been sitting here for a long time." Parker quirked an

eyebrow as he lifted the lid of the box, smiling at the cheese ridden pie.

"Yeah…I'm fine." Raymond shook his head and got up to wash his hands.

Raymond sat back down at the small round table by the window, gratefully accepting a

bottle of water. "How is it?" Parker looked up at the redhead expectantly. "It's good, it

has a lot more spices than American." Raymond took another bite, chewing thoughtfully.

With Raymond's lack of responses, Parker had assumed that the other man preferred to

eat in silence. Every so often, however, Raymond would steal a glance at the Italian and

would quickly look away when their eyes met.

After dinner, Parker went into the bathroom to take a shower while Raymond cleaned up

the mess before lying down on his bed.

The white noise in the room was nice, the sound of water pattering in the bathroom, the

faint sound of cars outside, all of it was a welcomed change.

His ears picked up on Parker stepping out of the shower, his feet patting on the tiles.

The brunette stepped out of the bathroom in nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs and

the bandages on his leg-the steam pouring out from the shower and warming the room.

Raymond rushed to Parker's side when he stumbled, wrapping his arms around his torso.

"You okay?" he did a once over to see if the other man was hurt, helping him to bed.

"I'm fine, the heat just got to my head." Parker grinned sheepishly for his clumsiness.

"Stay here, I'll change the bandages." Raymond scoffed with a half grin.

He grabbed a roll of gauze, some padding and tape.

Parker was told to shower on a regular basis but he had to keep the stitches dry.

Raymond cut through the sopping wet bandages and tossed them in the trash, pausing as

he looked at the light stitches that marred that spot on the brunette's leg.

Without thinking, he placed his hand on Parker's thigh, thinking back to that night.

Jessica…How could she shoot him? How could she shoot either of them?

They were a team at one time, and not very long ago.

But another question came to mind, why did Parker save him?

All along, Raymond had tricked Parker into believing Veltro had been revived and

posed a threat-when in reality, it had only been a ruse.

When the time came for the two of them to apprehend Jessica, Parker had been hesitant

to even give Raymond the benefit of a doubt-yet he took the bullet.

If Parker didn't even trust Raymond, then why did he put himself at risk to save him?

"Why did you do it?" he murmured.

Raymond felt Parker's hand lift up his chin to look him in the eye, feeling heat rise to his

cheeks. "You have so much to offer this world, Raymond." He whispered.

Parker slowly leaned in closer to Raymond's face, pressing their lips together.

Raymond's mind blanked at the unexpected affection, his eyes closing and reaches his

hand up to touch Parker's cheek. Encouraged by the redhead's reaction, the Italian

deepened the kiss, licking the redhead's lips.

Raymond opened his mouth to grant access, moaning when Parker's tongue delved

inside. The brunette tangled his fingers in the cadet's hair, kissing him feverishly.

Raymond stood up from the floor, looking down as Parker unfastened the buttons on his

shirt. He shivered when Parker ran his hands along his chest, kissing his belly.

He struggled to unfasten his belt, his fingers trembling.

"Let me help you." Parker smiled as he undid the redhead's belt, unzipping and

unbuttoning the slacks before tugging them down along with Raymond's underwear.

Raymond kicked his pants off before slipping his fingers beneath the band of Parker's

boxer briefs, looking him in the eye for permission. The Italian grunted slightly as he

lifted his hips off the bed, allowing the cadet to pull the shorts off.

Raymond took this opportunity to let his hands explore the other man, tracing his carved

features from his face, along his shoulder blades to his hips.

He had never expected to be given such a rare blessing, having his commander all to

himself. It was so much more than he could ever ask for…

For a moment, he had wondered if this was a dream.

What if he never made if off that cursed ship?

That theory was proven wrong when the brunette gave a few gentle strokes on his cock.

"Parker..!" Raymond moaned, bracing his hands on the other man's shoulders.

"It's been awhile, hasn't it?" Parker chuckled with a wink as he continued to tease him.

"Lie down.." he murmured as he sucked on Raymond's neck.

The cadet obliged and laid down on the bed, watching the Italian grab something from

inside the nightstand. Parker got in between Raymond's legs, resting his elbows on the

bed as he uncapped a bottle of lube.

"This might sting a little, but it'll get better, I promise." Parker stroked the cadet's leg

reassuringly before squirting a clear gel onto his fingers.

Raymond laid still as the brunette slowly slid a finger inside him, his body trembling in

anticipation. He locked eyes with the Italian, only ever breaking eye contact when he

blinked as the third finger was introduced. It was a sharp pinch, hissing and biting his

lip. "It's alright, relax." Parker cooed, taking the redhead's cock into his mouth.

"Ohhh!" Raymond moaned shamelessly, becoming louder the more the brunette sucked

on him. He couldn't believe that his commander was actually pleasuring him like this,

feeling unworthy of the other man's lips.

But, he was never one to pass up such an opportunity.

Parker released the stiffened member from his mouth, his fingers continuing to

explore the inside of the redhead, grinning when he found that certain spot that forced

Raymond to throw his head back and moan.

Raymond continued to moan and whimper as he felt the digits slide along his heated

insides, his fingers gripping the sheets as his legs trembled.

The brunette grunted as he tried to sit back up on his hands and knees, hissing when his

leg was bent, disturbing the stitches on his thigh.

Raymond took notice of the Italian's pain, sitting up from the bed and holding onto his

shoulders. "You shouldn't, not with your leg in this condition."

The pleading look in Parker's eyes pained him, feeling his own need for release.

"Lie down, let your leg rest." Raymond switched places with the brunette, caressing

his chest lovingly. "Get on." Parker purred as he motioned with his hands for Raymond

to sit down on his lap. Raymond sat up on his knees before crawling until he hovered

over the Italian's hips, slowly sinking down on his cock.

"That's it, you're doing great. A little more.." Parker encouraged Raymond, allowing him

to take his time. Raymond paused as he adjusted to Parker's size, squeezing around him

experimentally. Parker placed his hands on the redhead's hips, brushing his thumb on the

soft skin teasingly.

Raymond wrapped his arms around Parker's neck when he sat up, keeping him close.

Parker kissed the redhead, sucking on his lower lip.

Raymond breathed heavily as Parker slipped his tongue into his mouth once more,

shivering when his left nipple was pinched and tugged playfully.

Hesitantly pulling away from the kiss, Raymond lifted his hips up from Parker's lap

before pushing himself down again, building up momentum. The Italian groaned as the

cadet continued to bounce in his lap, hugging him closely and nibbling on his neck.

"Ray…" he moaned before sinking his teeth into the soft flesh greedily.

Raymond grunted as he tried to stay at an even tempo, biting his lip in concentration.

"You're trying too hard, just relax." Parker instructed before stroking his cock.

"Ah-!" Raymond cried, biting his lip to silence his moans.

"Let go, Raymond, I want to hear you." Parker insisted, sucking on one of the redhead's

nipples, grinning when the cadet began to openly groan.

Raymond gasped when the tip of Parker's cock pressed against a specific spot within

him, driving his hips harder into the brunette's lap at a faster rate, moaning louder and

louder. He desperately wanted to keep experiencing that feeling, slamming his hips down

in an attempt to have the other's member hit that nerve again.

Losing all control and being rid of his reservations, Raymond bit into Parker's shoulder

possessively and relished the primal growls that were roused from the Italian.

"_Yes_." Parker hissed before stroking the cadet's firm cock, licking his lips and grinned

victoriously as the redhead's demeanor rapidly turned from beastly into desperation.

Raymond clung to Parker as he came close to reaching climax, closing his eyes as his

vision turned white from his body overheating.

Parker's hands gripped Raymond's hips to the point where he left bruises, using the

remainder of his strength to ram up into the redhead.

Raymond's voice caught in his throat as he finally received his release, breathing a sigh

of relief as he went limp against the burly man.

Parker laid down on the bed, bringing the cadet down with him and nuzzled his face in

the crook of his neck. "Ray…" he spoke softly, at a loss of what more to say.

Raymond lifted his head up to gaze into the brunette's blue eyes, joining their lips once

more. Briefly sitting up from the embrace, he grabbed the blankets and pulled them up

before lying back down beside his lover. "Say it again." He asked, earning a quirked

eyebrow from the other man. "Say what?"

"Ray. I like it." The redhead answered, draping an arm over the Italian's hip.

"Ray." Parker chuckled as he cuddled closer to Raymond, kissing his forehead.

Raymond's eyes lulled as Parker ran his fingers in his hair before caressing his hip.

For the first time in over a year, he felt so safe and at ease.

He didn't have to remember what occurred in the past, it had been wiped from his mind.

He could actually _sleep_, something he had been deprived of for so long.

And for once, he didn't feel the need to worry about nightmares.

Closing his eyes, Raymond brought his face closer to Parker's chest and smelled his

unique scent, hoping that he would never forget it.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Raymond snuggled closer to Parker's warmth, his eyes opening slowly to see daylight's

golden rays peek out from under the curtains. Aside from the slight pain in his rear end,

he felt relaxed. Reaching up to cup Parker's cheek, he brushed his thumb along his

weathered features, smiling when the Italian remained asleep.

His hand caressed Parker's smooth hip, placing a kiss on his shoulder.

He honestly couldn't remember a time when he felt this peaceful, maybe he never did.

Just when his eyes were growing heavy once more, he heard a strange rumbling sound.

Craning his head around, Raymond saw that his cell phone was buzzing in the

nightstand's drawer. He didn't want to answer it, he just wanted to be alone with Parker.

Was that really too much to ask…?

With a frustrated huff, Raymond dug his hand in the drawer and pulled out the black and

silver device, glaring at the named Sherawat that was displayed on the screen.

Opening up the phone, he began to read her text message.

'Still alive?'

Raymond frowned at the message, regretting the decision to keep the phone.

But if he didn't answer…

'_Yes.'_ He answered, waiting for a reply.

'_Oh good.'_ Raymond rolled his eyes at her attempt to sound caring.

'_Do you still have it?' _

'_Yeah.'_

'Great, we can meet up later and I'll hand it over.'

Raymond looked at Parker's slumbering face after reading the reply, biting his lip before

writing another message.

'What happens after you give it to them?'

'_What do you think they're going to do?'_

'_Jessica, don't toy with me.'_

'_They're probably going to use it for some experiments, obviously.'_

'_You saw what happened on that ship. They can't have it.'_

'You don't have a choice. Who are you going to turn to for help? The BSAA?'

Raymond cringed at the accusing message on the screen, his fist gripping the sheets.

'_You played the part of a terrorist, they won't believe you. You'll be arrested on sight.'_

'_Parker trusts me.'_

'_He's a biased drunk, they won't listen to him.'_

'_I'll get rid of it.'_

'_Can you honestly think of a safe way of disposing it? Really, Raymond, you know _

better. Whatever hole in the wall you're staying in, the whole area would be screwed.'

'Besides, we had a deal.'

Raymond's grip on the phone faltered as his emotions got the better of him, resting his

arm on the bed as he rubbed his face.

A buzz in his hand brought his attention back to a single line. _'I'm waiting.'_

'_Fine. I'll bring it to you, but then that's it! I don't want to see you or those bastards _

again. And you better stay the hell away from Parker, or you'll be answering to me.'

'_Aww did I make you angry?'_ Raymond seethed at the reply and resisted the urge to

smash the phone against the wall, uncaring if it woke Parker up.

'Go to hell.'

'_Just get your grumpy ass out of bed and meet me.'_

'_Where are you now?'_

'I'm in Florence, the hotel is next to a train station.'

Raymond looked at the clock and knew that he would need to catch a plane and fly to the

mainland of Italy, probably would need to take a few taxis as well.

'_I'm too far off from you, it'll take me at least a day to meet with you.'_

'Fine, let me know when you're close.'

Deciding that that was the end of the conversation, he closed the flip phone and quietly

placed it down on the nightstand. He didn't want to leave Parker…

Raymond wrapped his arms around the Italian in a gentle embrace, closing his eyes

before breathing in his scent to calm his nerves.

But it didn't matter.

He had made a deal with Tricell just to protect Parker, yet endangered others.

Part of him really just wanted to give the virus and research over to the BSAA, take

Parker and run far away. So why did he agree to meet with Jessica?

He was afraid, afraid of what the consequences were if he broke the agreement.

This was a powerful pharmaceutical company he was up against.

They had the power and resources to do whatever they please and cover it up.

Even the BSAA, the government even, may not be able to stop them…

Feeling his face, Raymond slowly got out of bed and made his way to the bathroom.

While in the shower, he hesitantly scrubbed himself clean, wishing that he could've kept

Parker's scent with him. Knowing that if he stayed too long, he would probably back out

on the deal. He had to pack up and leave, he didn't have a choice.

He could imagine Parker yelling at him that he was a traitor, a coward.

Raymond swallowed the lump that formed in his throat, biting his lip to keep the sobs

from escaping. He failed to repress the shivers that wracked his body, sinking to the tiled

floor. The shower's spray brought little comfort to the turmoil that stirred within him.

He had no choice, he had to be brave and follow through.

Taking a breath, he pulled himself back up and turned the water off.

After drying off, he left the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, surprised to

see that Parker hadn't woken up yet.

Walking over to the dresser, he pulled out a set of clothes and began to dress.

He wore a pair of black slacks, a gray vest with a black undershirt, some black dress

shoes and a gray tie. He now wondered why exactly he bought this outfit, maybe his

subconscious already foretold his departure and he hadn't realized his depression yet.

Black was the color for grief. And he was grieving, he was losing Parker.

He was losing his lover, his career and everything that was familiar to him.

His world was gone.

After fixing the tie, Raymond sat down at the round table by the window and felt the urge

to write a note. He didn't want Parker to wake up and think that he was being used for a

one-night stand, it was so much more special than some sort of fling.

He had always held Parker in the highest regard, close to his heart, without even realizing

it. But now, he had the opportunity to at least try to convey his inner feelings for him.

The words came to him faster now than they did before, surprisingly.

'_Parker, I'm so sorry, but I can't stay. There have been quite a few changes this past _

_year, things that I cannot tell you. But there is one thing I can tell you…_

_I love you. I'll always love you, and I'll always been watching over you. So, please, take _

_care of yourself-for me. I don't know what the future holds, I don't know what will be _

_asked of me, but just know that I have good reasons for doing all this. _

_I hope one day I can be rid of it all and spend my life with you._

_I want that for us someday, I really do. _

_Don't worry about me, I'll be just fine._

_Be sure to take your medication, focus on getting better!_

_I'll miss you…_

_Love always, Ray.'_

Raymond placed the pen down and reread the letter over and over, feeling that it would

never be good enough to embody his soul, but it would have to do.

At least now he would know the truth, that was all that mattered, so long as he knew.

Getting up from his seat, he crept up to the bed and placed the scrap of paper on the

nightstand. Remembering that Parker probably didn't have any money to pay for the

hotel, let alone food or for a plane ticket home, Raymond took out a few hefty bills from

his wallet and placed them under the letter.

Leaning over the mattress, Raymond caressed Parker's soft hair and kissed his forehead,

hesitantly pulling away before he changed his mind about leaving.

'Please, forgive me.'

Without another thought, he put on his jacket and picked up his suitcase before leaving

the room, quickening his steps as he felt his resolve beginning to wane.

'I'm sorry, I'm sorry…'

The lump formed in his throat again and he wiped away a few stray tears before the

elevator doors opened, taking out a pair of sunglasses to cover up his red, puffy eyes.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Raymond pushed open the finely polished wooden door to the café, pausing in his stride

as he got his bearings before proceeding to the woman clad in purple.

The smell of rich coffee wafted in the air, reminding him that he hadn't eaten.

The repetitive clacking of the trains coming and going grated on his shot nerves, but he

was too tired to care.

It had taken him a day and a half to fly from Malta to Florence, and he took several taxis

to get to this particular restaurant that was nestled closely to a train station.

He had neither slept or ate during his journey.

He just wanted to get this over with and disappear.

Stopping just a few steps short of the table, he reached his hand into his pocket and set

the glass vial down in front of the brunette.

Jessica smiled as her eyes briefly caught sight of the vial.

"Almost too easy, wasn't it?" she looked up from her book, watching the redhead

intently. "The company let them take Morgan out with the trash."

"Tough world…" Raymond muttered bitterly.

"You file the report on this." The brunette sighed passively.

Raymond repressed the urge to frown and backhand the woman, keeping calm before

turning around curtly to make his way to the door.

"By the way…" Jessica called after him, Raymond paused in his step.

"Why save Parker?" she asked simply.

I love him…

Raymond's heart nearly fell out of his chest at the sudden realization.

Regaining his composure, he turned around to face her, removing his sunglasses to prove

his sincerity. Although, none of it was her business anyway.

"I have my reasons." He replied softly.

"The BSAA isn't as useless as I thought." Jessica looked down at the table thoughtfully.

"Things could really heat up." She continued to muse.

Raymond placed his glasses back on his face before turning to walk away, waving his

arm passively at her. "Indeed. The fun's just getting started." He mumbled.

Raymond closed the door behind him before delving his hands into his coat pockets.

Was that all?

Was it over now, could he live his life?

Before he could take a step, his cell phone began to ring.

Raymond sighed as he pulled it out of his pocket, surprised that it wasn't Jessica.

He began to read the text message, his eyes scanning it over and over in disbelief.

'_Mr. Vester, we congratulate you on your first successful mission. We have wired your _

_reward to your account, it is yours to do with as you please. We will honor our part of the _

_bargain and refrain from disturbing Mr. Luciani as per your request._

_With that said, we do hope to hear from you again._

_If you ever change your mind of refusing the position as agent #0067589, feel free to _

contact us and we will set you up with more objectives in the near future.'

Raymond frowned at the screen, his grip on the phone tightening until his knuckles

turned white. It was never going to end, they're never going to stop developing these

viruses. More and more people will suffer and die because of their twisted curiosity.

To them, he was just another body to use for their cause.

To them, Rachael and everyone on board The Queen Zenobia were just test subjects.

To them, Parker was just a bargaining chip to make him bend to their will.

He hated them, he wished that they felt the same fear and pain he did.

They deserved to know just how horrible their creations were, how heartbreaking and

unfair it was to lose the people they knew and love, to destroy someone's life.

Parker's life had been spared, Raymond was freed of his obligation.

He received money, close to a million dollars, as a reward for his 'hard work.'

Thirty-five hundred people died.

Raymond didn't blink when his hand crushed the flip phone, the top and bottom half

breaking apart. The screen snapped off and clattered to the ground, a trail of blood

ran down his wrist from being cut on the plastic and screws.

It ends now.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

**2007 – Two Years Later**

"Put the gun down, we can talk about this." A middle-aged man in a gray suit pleaded,

reaching his hand forward as if that alone would stop a bullet.

"Tell me where the remaining supply of T-Abyss is. _Now_." Raymond kept his magnum

pointed at the pitiful man's forehead, sneering at his attempts to sway his resolve.

"That's classified information, I'm not allowed to know where every single sample is

being held. I swear, I'm telling you the truth!" the balding man's voice raised a pitch.

"Then tell me what you do know." Raymond walked over to his computer chair, shoving

the gun's cold nozzle against the manager's head.

Without another word, the other man began to type, his fingers trembling in fear.

Raymond's gaze turned to the screen, watching as the pages of contact information

scrolled down the monitor as the passwords were entered.

"Print them out." He demanded coldly.

The elderly man did as he was told and clicked on the computer mouse to print out the

sheets, the printer whining as it spat out the pages.

He noticed movement out the corner of his eye, realizing that the bastard had the audacity

to attempt to reach over and press a button-the alarm he had assumed.

Raymond kicked the seat of the computer chair with such force, it sped across the room

until it crashed onto the floor. He stood over the groaning man as he held onto his head

from the impact, his cries growing louder when Raymond's foot pressed against his chest

painfully. "I have a friend up there. If you see her, tell her I said hello."

Raymond frowned as he watched the man writhe underneath his boot, aiming his gun at

his head and firing a single shot. He didn't bother looking down at the other man, moving

back to the computer and picking up the various papers.

Folding them up, he placed the papers into one of his pockets before checking the

drawers. Aside from finding a set of keys and a wad of cash, it was all junk.

Raymond stuffed both items into his pockets and strode out of the lavish office.

Walking through the hallway, he stepped over the body of a guard who had the

unfortunate fate of having his neck broken.

Unlocking the door with a plate that read #204, Raymond opened it enough to see that it

was a lab. Taking the last bundle of C4 he had with him, he threw it in the middle of the

room before shutting the door and continuing down the hall.

He barely flinched when the door blew off its hinges and slammed into the opposite wall.

This had been the fourth building he had infiltrated, Vermont having the honor of being

the first to be sought out and destroyed since Montpellier had founded the T-Abyss

research.

Two years he had been running this operation, and he didn't regret a thing.

These bastards were no longer human, they gave up the right to thrive in this world the

moment they agreed to research BOWs with Tricell.

Now, it had become his destiny to correct the mistake he made all those years ago.

"Hey, you, you're trespassing on private property!" a guard shouted from down the hall,

advancing toward Raymond with nothing but a flashlight.

When he was close enough, Raymond closed the distance between them and kicked one

of the guard's legs out before he wrapped his arm around his neck in a chock hold.

'_Should've taken the day shift…'_ he mused as he swung the uniformed man into a wall

with a sickening crack, blood marring the wall from where his teeth had made contact.

With the guard lying on the floor, Raymond continued down the hallway.

He got the information he needed to find where the virus had been sold via the black

market, and he destroyed what he had hoped had been the last lab that contained it-at

least on the east coast, anyway.

Walking downstairs he then pushed past an emergency exit before making his way across

the road, removing a remote from his pocket and pressing a button to activate the bombs

he had set in the boiler room.

As expected, a huge explosion engulfed the building in a blazing inferno and destroyed

everything inside and anything that was at least five yards in the perimeter.

Sirens started to blare in the distance, people either fled the scene or walked closer to

watch the flames. Tossing the remote in a trashcan, Raymond quickened his step as he

reached the parking lot, getting inside his car and began to pull away.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

After coming back to his hotel room, Raymond removed his gloves, black skin-tight shirt,

his boots and cargo pants. Running his hand through his hair with a sigh, he walked into

the bathroom for a shower. He craned his neck back and relished the warm water as it

cascaded down his skin, washing away the soot and ash that had seeped through his

clothes. He could always rely on a hot shower to make everything better…

He had to keep reminding himself that what he was doing was for the good of humanity,

no one else would have as much experience dealing with BOWs and humans like he did.

For once, he was thankful for his training in the FBC, finally putting it to better use.

He grabbed the bar of soap and began to rub the lather on his chest, letting the water rinse

it off gradually. For a moment, he stared at the drain as he scrubbed at his stomach,

watching as the suds swirled down the drain with ease-never to return.

He wished that memories could disappear like that, but no matter how much he scrubbed

himself in the sometimes scalding hot water, his psyche remained intact.

When his fingers made contact with the faint scar on his left thigh, he paused.

Despite it having been three years since the Terragrigia Panic, there was still a noticeable

mark on his leg. But then again, he couldn't be certain if he had actually seen it or merely

remembered it being there. Regardless, he still had the reminder from back then.

Shaking his head of such grim thoughts, Raymond quickly washed his legs so his fingers

wouldn't fawn over the scar any longer.

After washing his hair, he turned off the water and stepped out of the shower to grab a

towel. Walking out of the bathroom, he placed a frozen dinner into the microwave before

slipping on a pair of boxer briefs. He still felt cold in the lonesome room, opting to grab

his pair of flannel pants and a shirt to keep warm.

Raymond winced as the microwave beeped incessantly, pulling out the tray of mashed

potatoes and steak before sitting in bed to eat.

Turning on the tv, he watched the news.

Apparently he had been losing track of just how many laboratories and warehouses he

had broken into, now chalking it up to seven.

The police were never told anything about the suspicious chain of arsons, the reporters

were no better in their investigation. Which was just fine with him, it was probably for

the best that they didn't know what their world was turning into.

There was only so much the mind could handle, and the regular slew of conspiracy

theories were racy enough.

Finished with his meal, he set the tray aside to pick up the bundle of folded papers.

Taking a red pen from the nightstand, he began crossing off the places he had already

'visited'. As far as that poor bastard knew, there were only seven laboratories listed in

these papers. But Raymond knew better than to believe that only seven had contained

T-Abyss research. Then again, he had only been going after the areas that had held this

particular virus, he hadn't paid much mind to all the others that had been produced.

In his opinion, it was best to destroy the locations that were supplied with T-Abyss since

it was a viral weapon that was best suited for water. If he at least got rid of the chemical

agent that faired in water, the coasts would be that much safer.

He would never forget Veltro's plan to sink their cruise ships to infect the world with

the virus, and it was a smart plan at that. Once he got rid of the T-Abyss virus, he could

get started with all the others.

However, this plan was flawed, he needed money to travel.

Raymond only ever used the 'blood money' that was given to him by Tricell, using it to

destroy the very company that had given it to him.

With what he had left, he might be able to last another two or three years.

He made a point to travel lightly, having all his belongings from his old apartment put

into storage as he continued to move around the country.

He stayed in hotels, leaving right after demolishing a branch belonging to Tricell.

Furthermore, he made do with the two suitcases of clothing and weapons and a handful of

frozen dinners. Ever since that time he left the café in Florence, he vowed that he would

never stop until Tricell was destroyed.

Having scratched off the majority of the addresses, he set aside those pages and began

thumbing through what remained.

The most recent dealing of T-Abyss had taken place somewhere in England, also being

the last known dealing-at least from what these pages told him.

He now assumed that he would be taking a trip across the pond to eliminate some clients.

With them out of the way, a crisis would be averted and he might learn some new

information about Tricell and what they've been up to.

What he found next had surprised him.

There was a contact page that was to be used as a reference in case there were any

inquiries about T-Abyss and the collected combat data.

Jessica Sherawat.

That was a name he thought he would never hear of again.

It was apparent that she still worked alongside the company, and she actively helped in

guiding their so-called 'clients' buy the necessary product.

If Jessica was still involved with Tricell like the papers implied, then she might know

something useful that could help him put an end to bioterrorism.

But after all these years, he still wondered why Jessica even got involved in the first

place. What was so important?

"-Morgan Lansdale."

Raymond's attention turned back to the tv when a new report was announced.

"The former Commissioner of the FBC is still behind bars after his involvement with

Veltro's devastating attack on Terragrigia. However, we have heard rumors that Lansdale

could very well walk free if he passes a psychological examination. There has been no

confirmation on whether or not he is up for parole as of yet, but we will continue to wait

as more news comes in. Susan Cain, the 10 o'clock news."

Raymond blinked as it sunk in that his former boss, the mastermind behind Terragrigia's

demise, could be _freed_ from _federal prison._

Federal prison was mostly for criminals that had committed crimes on a national or

global scale. And they're actually going to consider his _release_?

He now questioned the government's judgement, wondering just what possessed them to

think that this monster had changed sufficiently enough to be released back into society.

Regardless, with a dealer in England selling samples of T-Abyss, Jessica living rather

comfortably with a seemingly clean conscience and Morgan's possible parole, he had

decided that this was going to be a huge leap from what he was accustomed to.

He hadn't realized that a reunion would be in order so soon.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

**Three Weeks Ago…**

Raymond walked along the sidewalk briskly, ignoring the stares he received from the

French natives. He wasn't entirely sure why he chose to wear some of his nicer clothes

during this visit, figuring that it was probably so that he would appear less threatening to

his former superior. Jessica had devoted nearly four years of her life to the FBC, she

knew what the bioterrorists were capable of-yet she chose to work with them.

He needed to see her, but it was not going to be a friendly catch-up session.

He wanted answers, and he wouldn't settle for anything less.

Opening the glass door of the apartment complex, he strode inside and began the trek

upstairs. His eyes were fixed to the brass nameplates on the walls as he walked past each

door before finally reaching the one that had Jessica Sherawat engraved on it.

His fist remained in the air, stopping just short of the white washed door.

She tried to kill him, twice.

She had shot Parker, by mistake, then left the both of them after setting off the alarm.

How could she betray her own fellow agents?

Raymond shook his head, now wasn't the time to reminisce.

Finally mustering his resolve, he knocked on the door.

After waiting a few moments, he already became impatient and knocked once more.

"Hang on, I'm coming!" he heard Jessica's voice call from the other side, slipping his

hands into his pockets. Jessica's voice caught in her throat as her smile faltered at the

sight of him. "Raymond?" Her eyes scanned over his appearance.

"Long time, no see." She smiled before stepping aside and letting him in.

"Come in, I could use the company."

Raymond stepped inside the apartment, removing his sunglasses and placed them in his

pocket as he made his way towards the living room.

The apartment was decorated with warm and inviting colors, the floors covered with

clean white carpets and the walls a deep shade of maroon with the black wooden

furniture being a stark contrast to the rest of the décor.

It would've been a nice place to live in if it weren't for Jessica's gaudy taste in artwork.

"You want something to drink?" she nodded her head in the direction of the kitchen.

"No, thanks." He shook his head.

"Hmph, suit yourself." The brunette shrugged before walking into the kitchen to retrieve

what appeared to be a glass of iced tea. Raymond leaned back against the mantle on the

fireplace, crossing his arms as he waited for her to sit down.

"Why don't you sit down? You're starting to make me feel tired just from watching you."

Jessica chuckled as she sat down on the beige colored couch, sipping at her drink.

"I don't plan on staying for very long." Raymond replied as he shifted his weight.

"Why are you still working for Tricell, Jessica?" he looked up at her, staring into her

hazel eyes. The brunette paused in sipping her drink before bringing her eyes up to meet

his sharp green ones. "How would you know about that?" she licked her lips nervously.

"One of your friends back in the states had your contact information, you're working for

Tricell-and you're providing them with information from The Queen Zenobia?"

His eyes narrowed accusingly at her.

"Yeah, I gave them the virus and wrote the report on the findings-since you disappeared."

She replied as she swirled the ice in her glass. "This…friend of mine, I doubt they just

gave it to you since you don't have clearance." She scoffed, taking another sip.

"I have a way with words." Raymond scoffed, a grin disappearing just as quickly as it

had formed across his face. Jessica's eyes flicked over him once more, noting the calm

and relaxed position he held-the coldness in his eyes.

"Why are you here, anyway?" she eyed him suspiciously, tapping her fingernail on the

glass. "I want answers." Raymond straightened up, standing away from the mantle.

"Who doesn't?" she scoffed.

"Why did you give them the virus?" his fists tightened in his coat pockets, his fingers

brushing against a cold, metal object.

"I finished what you started. They wanted it, so I gave it to them. No questions asked."

Jessica crossed her legs as she leaned back into the couch.

"It was really that easy for you, wasn't it?" he scowled indignantly.

"It puts food on the table." She shrugged.

"You know what it's capable of, you know what it does to people." He leaned forward as

he eyed her incredulously, quickly beginning to lose his temper as the brunette took

another sip of her drink. "How do you sleep at night?"

"I have some damn good pills." She smiled sadly.

"So, you just don't care?" Raymond ran a hand in his hair, releasing a breath.

"I stopped caring, a long time ago. We all do eventually."

Raymond froze at that answer, looking at her with a mixture of shock and disgust.

"Raymond, it's never going to stop. As long as there are bastards with the mentality of

Umbrella running around, these viruses are never going to go away." Jessica leaned

forward to pour herself another glass of tea, sipping it slowly.

"Believe me, I've tried. I've tried everything I could to stop them, but it never ends.

Heh, if you can't beat them, join them-right?" Jessica brushed a lock of hair behind her

ear, avoiding eye contact with the redhead.

"That is the stupidest excuse I've ever heard." Raymond spat, taking the woman by

surprise. "Oh? And you think you're better than me? This coming from the foolish rookie

who retrieved a virus to save his captain?" she retorted.

"That was different, I was _saving_ someone's life." The redhead ground out.

"Stop kidding yourself, you were just trying make yourself look good in front of him."

"No, I was protecting him because I knew that he would do much more good than I ever

could-I saved lives by saving his." Raymond began pacing, gritting his teeth.

"You're pathetic, just like him." Jessica scoffed, adjusting the necklace around her neck

idly. "I knew that you were the perfect choice to retrieve T-Abyss. You were so smitten

with Parker, you would do anything for him if it meant you could find a way to repay him

for saving your ass." Raymond stopped pacing and stared at the brunette, his blood

boiling at the sight of her smug smile.

"Well, it doesn't matter now. It's all in the past…" Jessica sighed as she rubbed her

forehead. "Are you satisfied now?" she cocked her head to the side in annoyance.

Wordlessly, Raymond pulled out his custom .50 Desert Eagle and aimed at his former

superior, his eyes locking with hers. "I came here to correct a mistake." He spoke darkly.

Jessica froze as her eyes met his, unsure if he was being serious.

"Is this because I tried to shoot you? Come on, that was a long time ago." Jessica

chuckled nervously, her gaze unable to break from Raymond's icy stare.

"Raymond, stop joking around."

"I never joke, you know that better than anyone." He mumbled, his grip tightening on the

magnum. Jessica had given the virus to those who would take full advantage of it, and

she continued to work for them as an advisor. Greedy, selfish and shallow as ever.

She was never going to change.

The world would be much safer, much better off without her.

As it sunk in that Raymond had the intent to shoot her, her grip on the glass loosened

until it fell from her fingers, landing onto the carpeted floor.

Raymond, the bright-eyed cadet with so much promise, was going to kill her.

Time slowed to a crawl, the reality she knew had crumbled into something foreign.

She could hear her heartbeat in her ears, her breath escaping past her lips in a shaky

tempo. She wondered if anyone else could hear what she was hearing.

"Don't do this…" her voice came out in an unrecognizable squeak.

To say that he enjoyed watching her squirm would be an understatement.

Raymond watched as Jessica's hands gripped the ends of the cushion she sat on, her

mouth opening and closing as she tried to find the words to make him reconsider.

"No-!" her cry was cut short as his finger squeezed the trigger, a bullet lodging into the

middle of her forehead. The scream caught in the brunette's throat as the bullet's impact

caused her frontal lobe to implode, her head falling to rest onto the back of the couch.

Raymond released a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding, lowering his gun.

Tucking the magnum back into his coat pocket, he looked up and the realization hit him

that he had just killed Jessica. It felt unreal, standing there before her body like this.

He had assumed that over the years he had grown numb to murder, having killed

hundreds of people that worked under the pharmaceutical company in the name of peace.

Oddly, he felt a twinge of relief, knowing that he had gotten his revenge and had

prevented Jessica from continuing to provide Tricell with guidance.

It was a small dent in this operation, but it felt like a milestone.

Snapping back to reality, Raymond began to wander around the apartment, overturning

chairs and small tables. He moved into the bedroom and began opening random drawers,

taking a few necklaces and stuffing them into his pocket.

He knew that if he made it look like the apartment had been broken into, the police would

be thrown off his trail and it would give him time to leave the country.

Walking out the door, leaving it unlocked, he quickened his step as he went downstairs.

A surge of relief coursed through him as he pushed open the glass door and continued his

trek along the sidewalk, waiting until he was at least four blocks away from the complex

before taking the necklaces from his pocket and dropping them into a trashcan.

He knew that he could've traded the jewelry for money, but he would've taken a huge

risk being seen at a pawnshop. Besides, he wasn't that desperate, not yet.

With Jessica out of the picture, he was that much closer to weeding out those that were

responsible for T-Abyss' production.

But there was still one last old friend to visit.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

10 Days Later…

After waiting more than a week for things to cool down after Jessica's murder,

Raymond was now ready to put his next plan into action.

Even though the possibility for Morgan to be released on parole was very slim, it still

posed a risk. The bastard had his way with Terragrigia and The Queen Zenobia, he

wasn't about to let him walk free and cause more chaos.

He was taking a huge gamble by breaking into a maximum security facility, knowing that

if he were ever caught the operation would be a failure.

But if all went well, it would've been worth the risk.

Pulling into the parking lot across the road, Raymond stepped out of his rental car and

shut the door before calmly walking towards the front gate.

His feet crunched on the white gravel as he made his way down the path, the sharp smell

of freshly cut grass invading his senses.

A few guards glanced at him out of curiosity but didn't pay too much attention since they

probably had assumed he was a visitor. In a way, it was partially true.

Raymond walked up to the visitor's station when he saw that the security guard had

fallen asleep in his chair, leaning over the counter just enough to get a look at the list of

prisoners until he found Morgan's cell number.

The door that led to the cellblocks was locked, and even if he was let through he

wouldn't have been able to get as close to Morgan as he needed.

Checking some of the doors in the hallway, he found a supply closet.

Unfortunately, there weren't any spare uniforms inside.

The door leading to the front courtyard opened, an officer walked into the room and went

towards the door leading to the cellblocks.

It now occurred to him that his best bet of getting further in was to wait until a guard

came by, wearing a uniform that was closest to his size as possible.

Leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, Raymond watched as a guard passed

down the hall every so often-most of them having too much muscle or a bigger

midsection, all of them had a uniform that would just sag on his lean frame.

Finally, he had been graced with an opportunity.

A young man with dark curly hair walked through the hall that the redhead had haunted

for the past half-hour. The guard looked young and fresh, probably hadn't been working

in the facility for that long. His stature was a bit shorter than Raymond's, but he had the

right body type-just barely. He couldn't afford to wait much longer, he knew that people

would begin to get suspicious of him if he remained in the visitor's lounge for too long.

Raymond noticed that the boy was wearing headphones, his eyes focused on the floor.

Unfortunately for the younger man, he was distracted; he wouldn't even see him coming.

When the brunette got close, Raymond lunged forward from behind, wrapping an arm

around the young officer's neck.

The shorter man grunted, his hands reaching up to attempt to pry Raymond's arm away.

Acting quickly, Raymond swung open the door of the supply closet and dragged the

guard inside with him. When the door closed, the brunette began to panic when he

realized he was away from the public eye, squirming in the redhead's grasp.

Raymond grabbed a plastic bag from his coat pocket, tearing it open with his teeth before

pressing the soaked cloth to the brunette's face.

The young officer soon went limp and was carefully lowered onto the floor, the rag

tossed aside. He was relieved that he didn't have to use brutal force.

After all, the kid was just doing his job.

He was innocent, protecting society by keeping criminals locked in their cages.

Raymond unfastened the black tie and brown belt from the brunette's

unconscious form, tugging the accessories away before unbuttoning the blue shirt and

unzipping the black slacks.

The uniform had fit him surprisingly well, but the shoes were too small so he wore his

own pair of dark brown dress shoes. Placing the navy blue hat on his head, he then

adjusted the tie before smoothing out the wrinkles on the shirt, readjusting the brass

nameplate that read J. Krudup.

Raymond glanced down at the slumbering guard, having handcuffed him to a support

beam and gagged him with some duct tape he found on a shelf.

Turning off the lights, he stepped out from the closet and quietly shut the door.

Grabbing the set of keys from his pants pocket, he continued down the hallway and was

finally granted access to the cellblocks on the other side.

The hallway was quiet save for the sound of jingling keys and metal doors creaking open

or slamming shut. The walls were painted with a clean white wash, a bold orange line

painted on the floor. Raymond tried his best to keep calm and wore a stoic face, nodding

in acknowledgement whenever an officer greeted him.

So long as he played his part well, no one would suspect a thing.

He followed the orange line and looked at each sign that was tacked to the wall, looking

for the kitchen. The smell of food cooking wafted in the air, signaling him that it wasn't

far. As he got closer to the mess hall, the distinct sound of pots and pans clattering on

counters echoed in the eerily empty room.

Raymond casually walked into the back of the room, moving aside when a cook sped past

him with a dish of what looked to be some kind of casserole.

Steam from various boiling pots engulfed the kitchen, causing him to perspire.

Finding a wall that was littered with various menus and diet charts, Raymond adjusted his

black tie as the heat began to become unbearable, looking for Morgan's meal plan.

M. Lansdale was listed among the other prisoners, his weekly regimen demanded a

strictly high-protein diet. It was sandwich Tuesday; he was going to have turkey.

Even in a cage, Morgan still received special treatment.

Raymond scoffed at the menu, turning around to look for available trays.

"Krudup, right?" a cook called over to him from a stove, stirring a pot.

"Yeah." Raymond took a moment to respond, bringing the brim of his cap lower to hide

the top part of his face. "His _highness'_ meal is right there, by the tuna surprise." The

blonde scoffed, pointing the ladle she held towards the far left counter.

Raymond quirked an eyebrow at the sarcastic remark, quickly realizing that Morgan

wasn't too keen on making many friends during his stay here.

"I'll bring it to him, then." He responded as he picked up the off-white tray, turning to

leave. "The bastard had the balls to tell me that the chicken was too dry last Thursday;

Feel free to give it a nice seasoning, if you know what I mean." She cackled after him.

A seasoning was in order, indeed, but it wasn't of the organic variety.

When he was a good distance away from the doorway leading to the kitchen, he sat the

tray down on a table before pulling out a small vial.

Lifting up the top half of the sandwich, Raymond poured the white powder onto the

condiments before setting it back in place, pouring the rest of the contents into the mug of

coffee. He went through all the trouble to get this far, and he wasn't going to leave

anything to chance. Putting the bottle back into his pocket, Raymond picked the tray up

once more and carried it out of the cafeteria, making his way up a flight of stairs.

Finally reaching the third floor, Raymond walked along the silent hallway, his eyes

scanning the line of white doors. Having found the door with the bold 312 printed

across, he slid the small slot door aside before holding the tray out through the opening.

A creak from the cot on the other side was soon followed by footsteps, a wrinkled hand

taking the tray from the redhead's waiting grasp.

"You're late again, boy, don't they teach punctuality in the academy anymore?"

Morgan's voice spoke quietly with an air of arrogance, causing shivers to run up

Raymond's spine. He slid the small door shut without another word, walking away a few

paces before crossing his arms and leaning against the wall.

After all these years, the former Commissioner's voice still made his skin crawl.

The elder man had held much authority, yet he still felt the need to assert his dominance

over the less empowered. Although, no one in the FBC had been certain if it was his

eerily eloquent voice or the hard features that were carved in his face; but they knew that

there was something off about him that always made everyone uneasy.

Raymond had never liked his boss to begin with, finding the other man both

unsettling and insufferable when it came to his ego and the way he carried himself.

The man's cold blue eyes always seemed to tear into his soul rather than make

simple eye contact. However, there was a time when Raymond appreciated the one

inspiring quality that made him look up to Morgan like a mentor-wisdom.

Morgan had been a general in the military at one time; he knew first hand what true

animosity and carnage imposed on the world.

He had seen what deprivation, loss, and self-destruction did to people.

Raymond, as well as others in the FBC and in congress, had believed that his experiences

would have driven him to find more effective solutions to prevent more suffering.

In a bizarre, almost surreal twist, he had dispelled his morals and replaced

them with brash strategies and selfish goals.

For whatever reason Morgan had that made him believe his actions were justifiable did

not excuse the crime, far too many people had died under his command.

And now, karmic justice was being served.

An onslaught of gruff coughs broke the silence, just barely muffled by the steel door.

Raymond was startled from his reverie by the sudden noise, glancing at the wall that

divided the two men. Curiosity got the better of him, the need to be certain enveloping

him, opening the small slot and looked inside the cell.

Morgan was curled up in the fetal position on his bed, trembling as the poison coursed

through his veins and began shutting down his vital organs.

Consuming arsenic was a long, painful death.

Regardless, it still wouldn't mount up to the fear and agony that his fellow men felt.

His conscience whispered that he should shoot him, put him out of his misery.

Morgan Lansdale deserved just as much sympathy as he gave-None.

It had taken ten minutes, but it felt as though it dragged on forever only for it to end in

mere seconds. Morgan became still, a raspy breath passing his lips.

All was quiet, too quiet.

Justice had been done; the closure was hollow and bittersweet.

Raymond closed the small slot; the squeak it made as it scraped on rusted metal echoed

throughout the lonely hallway.

He finally gave himself permission to turn and leave, walking back downstairs.

Now, more than anything, he just wanted to leave.

He felt watched, eyes boring into his flesh as he made a calm retreat back to the visitor's

lounge. Once he was past the border that divided the caged and the free, he all but leapt

into the supply closet to retrieve his bag of clothes, closing the door and making his way

outside to the courtyard.

Raymond continued his steady pace towards the parking lot to avoid raising suspicion,

feeling as if he couldn't have gotten out of there fast enough.

At long last, he made it to his car and tossed the trash bag into the passenger's seat,

shutting his car door and tossing the officer's cap onto the floor before starting the

engine and pulled out of the parking lot, picking up speed once he was out of range.

As far as he knew, his mission had been a success.

However, there was still one more thing he had to take care of.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

**Five Days Later…**

After some thorough investigating, Raymond had managed to pinpoint the location of the

remaining samples of T-Abyss, as well as the foolish idiots who bought them.

He hadn't expected them to be as far as England, his worst fear of the viruses already

being sold globally coming true. If there were some in Britain, he wondered where else

they were being sold.

If it ever managed to somehow spread into the ocean, the world would be finished.

That was why he was conducting this operation, to put a stop to the production of

viruses-starting with T-Abyss-and ultimately obliterate Tricell.

He drove in the darkest of night, thankful that as he got closer to the beach the traffic

became more scarce-fewer witnesses.

There was a strict protocol that he followed and it had taken time to perfect,

now able to reap more and more beneficial results.

If he kept this steady pace, he may be able to weed them all out way before

his hair starts to gray.

A lone factory came into view as he pulled into the parking lot, shutting off the engine.

Raymond took out his magnum and slowly walked down the slope leading to the beach,

his feet sinking in the sand up to his ankles. He knew that this particular terrain could

both work for and against him-if someone were to attempt to escape it would be that

much more difficult with the sand sucking on their shoes, and vice versa.

Unfortunately for the buyers, he wasn't planning on running away.

As he approached the building, he could see that there were some lights on.

But that wasn't what alerted him to people being inside.

There was screaming.

There were gunshots, and from the sounds of it, they weren't hitting their mark.

He was too late, the virus had broken out.

Raymond broke into a run for the main door, throwing it open and slamming it behind

him to prevent the creatures from getting outside.

'Amateurs…'

"Shoot, damn it!" he heard a male voice cry, followed by another string of curses.

"Why the hell didn't Richard get us the good guns?" another grumbled bitterly.

Raymond kept close to the wall, sliding along the smooth surface until he peeked out

around the corner, spotting three young men.

He was shocked that the buyers of T-Abyss were so young, barely his age when he had

joined the FBC. It was obvious they were inexperienced, their handguns doing little

damage. What caught his eye next was a type of BOW, one he had been familiar with.

A giant chunk of flesh on two legs slowly lumbered closer to the men, swelling up as

their bullets pierced its body. He had been too late to warn them, the grotesque

monstrosity blowing up to twice its size before exploding, covering the trio in crimson

liquid. "Oh, great…" the redhead muttered, watching as they doubled over in pain.

He couldn't be certain if they were suffering because of the impact of the explosion or if

they had been infected and were beginning to mutate.

Either way, he didn't have a vaccine with him and he had no choice but to put them

down. Making this as painless as possible, he took aim at each of their foreheads and shot

a single bullet into their skulls. Stepping over the corpses, he continued down the narrow

hallway. He walked into a room that was full of stacked crates and groups of oil

drums, a long table set in the middle that was littered with papers.

Upon closer examination, there were broken glasses and vials, possibly the virus itself.

The papers were a mess of ink and a red mixture that was impossible to tell apart from

blood. Raymond could only assume that this must've been where they made their plans.

The entire building smelled of fish, now mixing with copper as he got further inside.

A cry caught his attention and he quickened his step, jumping back in surprise as

something was shot at him. Peering around the corner, he saw a new type, one that

appeared to have the ability to shoot bones from its arm.

'They can shoot now?'

This gray skinned creature sported horns and a single eye in the middle of its face, its

right arm a mass of bones protruding from a thin layer of skin.

As he waited for the right opportunity to take a shot, the creature took notice of its prey

from a moment ago. A boy laid groaning on the ground, holding on to his chest as it bled

profusely. The towering figure raised its right arm above its head before swinging it

down to crush the boy's head, its spikes spearing through his skull.

Raymond blinked in shock at the gory sight, his gun aiming right for the eye just as the

creature pulled out its appendage and gurgled in victory.

It released a muffled groan as it collapsed from the impact of the bullet, its body

beginning to resemble a bag of water as the bullet hole released pressure.

Raymond grimaced at the sight and continued further into the building, stepping over

another victim that had a sharp bone protruding from his chest-another target shot down

by that bizarre mutant. Hearing more gunshots in the distance, he ran through the hall

until he reached an open door. Inside, he saw two young men, one with black hair and

wore camouflage while the other had brown hair and wore a leather jacket.

The pair were trapped between two pursuing creatures and a wall.

If he didn't hurry, he would lose vital information on who sold them the virus.

One of the towering creatures with spiked riddled arms got to the raven-haired man first,

its mess of teeth pulling apart until a tube like appendage sprung from its mouth.

The camouflaged boy cried out as the 'tongue' latched onto his neck, beginning to suck

blood out of him. "Aghh! Get off me, you bloody bastard!" he yelled as he attempted to

push it off, knocking it back enough before breaking into a run and dashed out of the

room. "Tori! Tori, don't leave me here!" the brunette yelled after him desperately,

continuing to fire at both figures until his gun clicked empty.

The boy's fingers trembled as he struggled to pull a spare clip from his pocket, dropping

it on the floor. Raymond shot both creatures in the head, walking into the room

fearlessly after they collapsed onto the floor in a tangled heap.

"Ah, thanks mate, you-" the sentiment was cut short as Raymond grabbed the shorter

man's shirt, forcefully shoving him back into the wall and held him in place.

"Who sold you the virus?" he spoke sternly, his eyes narrowing.

"What?" the brunette's eyes widened in shock at his savior's sudden change in attitude.

"Those red vials. _Who _gave them to you?" he asked again, bringing their faces closer.

"Uh-, R-Richard found this guy…I never saw him-" he winced as Raymond pulled him

away from the wall only to slam him against it again. "Give me a name." He ground out.

"Okay, okay!" the brunette held his hands up defensively.

"I think Richie said his name was Thomas Phillips. Yeah, that's it." He nodded, gulping

at Raymond's intense stare. "How did he get it?" the redhead loosened his grip a bit.

"I don't know. All I know is his name and that Richard somehow met him through a

phone call. I never knew the bloke, alright?" he answered, his hands attempting to pull

Raymond's hand off his shirt completely.

"I didn't even know what this shit was until those bollocks dropped the glasses. It got

everywhere, then they started changing…If I had known this would happen, I would've

talked them out of it." The brunette spoke softly, his eyes drifting downwards.

Raymond's gaze softened, his resolve faltering at the pitiful youngster's face.

The brunette was so young; he could've been Raymond's younger brother.

He had no idea what this virus was, how much damage it could cause.

The revelation of an entire cruise ship being overwhelmed with the hell spawn probably

would've destroyed such a blissfully ignorant mind.

He so desperately wanted to deem him as innocent and release him.

Looking down at the brunette's left arm, he saw teeth marks and blood stains.

It was no longer his choice.

If he was infected, there was no cure on hand to treat him; he couldn't allow the infection

to spread to the rest of the population.

"I'm sorry…" Raymond sighed regretfully before taking the butt of his gun and

slammed it into the side of the brunette's head, knocking him unconscious.

He fired a shot into the shorter man's head, killing him painlessly.

Turning around, refusing to look down at the body, he left the room.

"Braaaaad…Soooorry…" a distorted voice gurgled, a door rattled as something on the

other side bumped into it. Judging from the fragments that resembled a human voice,

Raymond realized that it was Tori. The coward must've ran into a closet to hide before he

turned into one of those creatures. The doorknob remained undisturbed, regardless of

Tori's attempts to exit. Looking around the room, he noticed that there were gasoline

tanks that he could use to set the place on fire, having run out of explosives.

Grabbing one tank, Raymond took off the cap and began pouring the clear liquid onto the

floor, starting with the bodies and the front of the closet door.

Uncapping two more tanks, he walked through the hallways as he dumped the accelerant.

With one canister left, he poured a trail that went from the main door to a few feet away.

Taking a lighter he found inside, he flicked the wheel and touched the flame to the

soaked ground, turning around to leave as the trail ignited.

The trail of flames ate up the accelerant and made its way into the building, slowly eating

away at the corpses and walls. Within a few minutes, chunks of the building caught fire

and crackled as the flames ate away at wood and stained metal.

Raymond wasted no time in hurrying back to his car, sand kicking up as he ran up the

slope. Getting inside, he started the engine and sped away.

The inferno grew, becoming a beacon in the darkness.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

**One Week Later - Present Day**

Raymond sipped at his glass of gin, his fingers massaging his scalp as his face rested in

his hand. He couldn't remember how long he had occupied this bar, or how many drinks

he's had, and he didn't care. After having that heated argument with his lover, he had

decided it would be best to give the both of them some space to calm down.

But he realized some time ago that it had been a mistake to flee, being left alone to his

thoughts. Parker had confronted him with the belief that Raymond was the one behind the

recent murders of Jessica, Morgan and those college students at the factory.

The Italian was right, he was responsible.

Now that the brunette had learned the truth, it was very possible that he would disown

him. It would be a cruel, ironic twist to this whole scheme.

All along he had fought so hard to protect Parker, only to lose him.

In the beginning, it had been so easy to commit those murders, ridding the world of the

sub-humans that dared to create terrible monsters right under their noses.

However, he did feel a twinge of guilt for killing that one boy in the factory.

He was just a kid, he didn't know what he had gotten himself into.

Despite the emotional turmoil he experienced, he stuck to his plan and exterminated

anything and everything in what was now the empty shell of a building.

It had been the last straw, he hadn't realized it until a few days later as he remained in his

hotel room. Part of him wanted to find this Thomas Phillips and destroy him, continuing

with his vendetta. While the other part of him was appalled and in shock after what

happened in the course of two years-the monster he had become.

But then, a stroke of luck graced him in the form of Parker Luciani.

The man he adored, admired, and had believed he had lost forever, was sighted at a

restaurant. Two long, empty years, and the Italian suddenly came back into his life.

Although, he would be the one to point out that he had made the first move.

Raymond had followed Parker whenever he managed to find him on the street, never

certain where he worked or lived. Then, he finally gathered the courage to approach the

other man in a bar. It had been painfully awkward the first day, of course.

He hadn't expected to be offered to stay at his apartment, not even expecting to share a

drink with the brunette. He was almost sure that Parker would've socked him in the face,

given that they had parted ways in Malta.

But surprisingly, Parker had all but scooped him up and carried him home.

The day after had truly been a blessing, he treasured that moment in the park.

He had taken Parker by the hand, physically reconnecting their relationship.

When Parker reciprocated, going above his own expectations and made love, he was

filled with life once again. His soul had been whisked away when he met with Jessica in

Florence, but was restored when he bonded with the Italian.

In turn, the past two years had been erased, he could feel unrelenting happiness.

There was so much more openness between the two of them, nothing went unsaid.

For awhile, he had truly believed that he was going to start over with Parker.

Unfortunately, for as long as he can remember, he had never really been destined for

happiness. But just this once, he desperately wished that fate would work in his favor.

Then, his piece of heaven was crushed and he was slammed back down into reality.

He was a criminal, a murderer.

He couldn't remember a time when he despised himself more than right now.

Without Parker in his life, it held no meaning.

What was the purpose of life if he had no one to share it with?

Raymond chugged the remainder of his glass, getting up from his seat before stumbling

towards the door. Ignoring the protests to wait until he was sober to leave, he walked out

onto the streets with a sway in his step.

A swim sounded really nice right now…

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

If I could, I would cry tears of joy right now, but I'm too exhausted.

I worked on this chapter for two months, mostly all due to struggling with Raymond's

time spent on The Queen Zenobia. I hadn't meant to work on this chapter for so long, I

certainly didn't mean for it to take up 109 pages. Originally, this chapter was going to

feature Raymond after the Terragrigia Panic and what might've caused him to work with

Jessica, and then it was going to skip ahead to the murders.

But then, I thought that it would've been too short and it wouldn't have added any depth

to Raymond's character, so I decided to add more to the plot.

This was a really important chapter to the series, that's why it's so long.

But hopefully, the last five chapters will be no more than twenty pages or so.

I'm really proud of this chapter, I worked night and day in a freezing cold room-buying a

space heater definitely helped!

I'll admit, this chapter also killed a part of me because of how hard Raymond is

struggling with himself.

What I really enjoy about this story is that it asks one of life's biggest questions:

How is murder justified? Is it ever justified?

Also, the importance of this chapter's title (and Raymond's inner demons) is the much

argued origins of Lucifer. From what I understand, Lucifer was an angel who didn't share

the same beliefs as the other angels in heaven, and was cast out.

For Raymond, I do believe (at least in Revelations, anyway) he dirtied his hands to

correct a wrong. He's not necessarily evil, but not entirely good either.

I enjoyed writing this chapter, but I'll definitely need a break for awhile.

I hope you enjoyed it, I'm curious to hear what your opinions are.

Lin


	10. The Breaking Point

Parker dropped back down into the chair in disbelief, his eyes drifting to the floor

listlessly as he ran his hand through his tousled hair.

Time had slowed to a crawl, his heart rate a sharp contrast to the silence of the room.

Finally, he found the strength to bring his eyes back up to the monitors, his stomach

churning at the sight of the paused images. That fiery red hair again…

There was no mistaking it now, Raymond had been involved in this mess all along.

He felt himself coming back to his senses as he rubbed his hands along in his face,

releasing a sigh. How could he have been so blind?

How could he just ignore all the signs until this very moment?

In truth, he didn't want to believe it, not one single bit of it.

In the short time that he knew Raymond during their days in the FBC, he knew that the

redhead honestly wanted to make a difference. He was young, naive, and inexperienced.

The cadet had practically froze in place like a distressed gazelle after spilling blood for

the first time during a mission. It didn't take too many more missions to desensitize him...

Despite his stony gaze, cold demeanor and recklessness, he meant well.

At least, that's what he had been lead to believe…

Had he been fooling himself all along?

Memories of Terragrigia and The Queen Zenobia came flooding back, rousing more

questions than answers. Did Parker mean anything to Raymond?

Do they even have a relationship, or was all this just a ruse?

Just who the hell was Raymond Vester anyway…?

Raymond had meant the world to the Italian, and he had hoped he felt the same.

Those moments they spent together were special to him.

The bitter side of him reared its ugly head and filled his heart with doubt; coming to the

conclusion that the other man had only spent all this time with him just to get on his good

side and cover his tracks. Yes, that sounded perfectly reasonable.

After all these years, Raymond had come back to him after committing his crimes and

wanted to wash his hands clean of the chaos that trailed behind him.

He had never wanted to make amends for leaving him in Malta, and he sure as hell didn't

want an actual relationship with some pathetic excuse for a man.

His heart ached as he tried to quell his conflicting theories.

But, what if he was wrong?

While he couldn't draw up a reasonable excuse as to why Raymond murdered Jessica and

Morgan, it was easier to try and convince himself that Raymond had feelings for him.

Why did the redhead bother living with Parker and share his bed?

Why did he even allow Parker to be intimate with him?

Those precious moments when Raymond comforted Parker after those horrible

nightmares, the days when Raymond cooked their meals and ate together…

He preferred the notion that Raymond wasn't completely heartless, feeling somewhat

relieved by the skewed logic.

Nevertheless, he just couldn't be certain of anything until he found some answers.

Raymond, he needed to find him, he knew that much.

Parker got up from the computer chair, grabbing his jacket and pulling the door open with

such force it slammed into the wall as he passed through the doorway.

He ignored the stares as he jogged down the hallway, barely running into anyone that

happened to be in the way. "Parker, where are you going?" He heard Sylvia call after

him. "I have to take care of something." He called back as his hand reached out for the

entrance door, throwing it open and making a beeline for his car.

Getting into his Land Rover, he put the key into the ignition and started the engine.

He wasn't sure if he was speeding as he drove to his apartment, and he didn't care.

He wasn't even sure what he would say to Raymond, only thinking as far as finding him.

Hell, he wasn't even sure how he would react _if_ they came face to face again.

Their argument was still fresh in his mind, assuming that maybe the redhead had gone

back to the apartment after having some time alone to calm down.

Parker abruptly stopped the car in front of the building, hurriedly getting out and

running up the stairs. He struggled to put the key in the lock as his hand trembled in

anticipation, throwing open the door as his eyes scanned the room.

It looked the same as it did this morning.

"Ray?" he called out, checking the kitchen before rushing to the bedroom.

Raymond's suitcase was still on the floor, articles of clothing spilling out from the sides.

He wouldn't leave without his suitcase, would he?

Parker dug through the shirts and pants in the bag, noting that the gun and bullets were

still where they had been left. It was apparent that he was still out there somewhere; and

he didn't seem to be in too much of a rush to leave.

Where else could he be?

Parker racked his brain for ideas, remembering the café they ate at.

It was the only lead he had, hoping that his lover might have gone out to eat.

Parker shut the door, wincing when it slammed, before locking it and running downstairs.

Coming back to the car, he shivered as the air was noticeably colder.

Looking up at the sky briefly as he unlocked his car door, he noticed that the sky was full

of gray clouds, the sunlight barely peeking out from between the clouds' crevices.

Sliding onto the car seat, he hoped that it wouldn't rain.

Parker's eyes switched from the road to the sidewalks in brief intervals, searching for

Raymond as he continued to drive at a steady pace.

Being given all this time alone gave him the opportunity to piece his thoughts together,

his thought process split between finding the restaurant and thinking of what to say.

Should he apologize for losing his temper this morning?

That seemed like the logical way to start their conversation.

'_Raymond, I'm sorry for being ass…By the way, did you kill Jessica and Morgan?'_ he

thought sarcastically, shaking his head.

He was unsure if he should come down hard on Raymond for being dishonest or if he

should try to be more compassionate. Compassionate? Did Raymond have _compassion_

when he murdered his former co-workers?

'Stop it, Luciani, you've got to give him a chance to explain himself…'

Why? Why should Raymond be given the opportunity to explain himself?

Wouldn't he just spout out more lies?

Well, it appeared that he still had conflicting emotions…

No matter, everything would be made clear once they sat down to talk.

Parker slowed the car to a stop in front of the café, getting out of the car and stepping

inside; his stomach gurgling painfully at the decadent smells that wafted in the air.

This was no time to eat, it would have to wait.

He stood at the entrance as his eyes searched the immediate area for the redhead, his

disappointment becoming greater as he mostly saw brunettes.

He remembered when he first came here with Raymond, sitting in a booth near a

window. It had been awkward after their prolonged separation from each other, but

Raymond, surprisingly, had been the one to break the ice.

The ketchup near his mouth, his finger in between those soft lips…

What they had, it was real…wasn't it?

Why would Raymond lead him on like that?

Why would Raymond kiss him like he did, or let Parker touch him and make love?

"Hi there." A familiar voice greeted him, breaking his line of thought.

he turned his gaze to the approaching blonde waitress. "Oh, hello." He smiled politely.

"Can I help you find a seat?" she smiled warmly, thumbing through the menus she held

in her arms. "No, actually, I'm looking for a friend of mine." He leaned over to gaze at

the next row of tables on the other side of the room. "A man, with red hair…"

"Oh, well…" she bit her lip as she lowered her gaze to the floor in deep thought.

"I'm sorry, I haven't seen anyone with red hair today." She gave a half smile in apology,

her features saddening at the sight of the Italian's disappointment.

"It's alright, I'll just keep looking." He nodded and quickly stepped back outside before

more could be said, feeling embarrassed for standing around awkwardly.

'_Damn it…'_ he cursed inwardly, sitting in his car for a moment.

So, Raymond wasn't at the apartment and he wasn't here…

The idea of Raymond possibly staying at a hotel crossed his mind, frowning at the

thought of his lover holding a grudge against him and hiding in some hotel instead of

returning home.

Starting the car again, he sighed as he put the car in reverse.

'This is going to be one hell of a day…'

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Parker had never stayed in any hotels when he moved here, finding the prospect of

searching for ones that were nearby aggravating. Finally, he had stumbled across a

white washed building with rows of parked cars in the front; the name _Belcrest_ graced the

highest point of the building in brass letters. With a pained sigh, he got out of the car and

made the trek to the front door. Passing by a family of five and an elderly couple, he

grabbed the brass bar on the glass door and pulled it open before entering.

The carpeting was a deep red with black filigree and the hallways were

decorated with cherry wood tables and chairs with bouquets of white freesia.

He had to admit, the place was beautiful, and it suited Raymond.

Although, he had to wonder just how Raymond would've been able to afford to stay in a

hotel like this, let alone pay for all the traveling he had done in the past few months.

Parker found the receptionist desk and approached the finely polished counter, placing

his hand on the surface as he waited. "Can I help you, sir?" a man in a navy blue suit with

wavy black hair smiled as he folded his hands on the counter.

"I'm looking for a friend of mine." Parker replied simply. "It's privileged information for

me to tell you what room they're staying in, but I can call them down to meet you."

The receptionist replied as his hands moved to the keyboard, awaiting expectantly for a

name. "Raymond Vester, is he staying here?" Parker waited patiently as the

man's fingers moved along the keys, looking up reservations.

"Ahh, I'm sorry, there's no one by that name staying here." He replied as he folded his

hands again. "Are you sure? You haven't seen a red haired man at all?"

"No, sorry, I haven't."

Parker lowered his gaze to the counter, pondering where else Raymond could be.

"Uh, do you know of any other hotels in the area?" the raven-haired man raised a brow.

"_Please_." The brunette insisted, tapping his fingers impatiently as he waited for the

receptionist to retrieve a phone book. "You could try the Daphne Inn or the-"

"Thank you, I'll just write down the addresses and be on my way." Parker interjected,

grabbing a pad of paper and a pen before scribbling down the names and addresses of the

hotels in the immediate area, going as far as the border of town.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Parker took a sip from his cup of coffee, placing it back in the cup holder before rubbing

his eyes as he continued to drive. He didn't know how long he had been driving around

town looking for Raymond, nor how many hotels or pit stops he's trampled through.

The only indicator of time he could keep track of was how much darker it got since this

afternoon. There was just enough light out for him to see the color of each car he went

past, eyes scanning the sidewalk of what he referred to as "Bottle Street", unable to see

the familiar redhead coming out of any of the pubs.

He wondered if he should double back and check the apartment again, but decided that he

would wait until he exhausted all his other options before heading back home for the

night. At this point in time, he was more worried than angry with his lover.

He didn't have Raymond's cell phone number, if he had one to begin with that is.

The investigation faded from his mind, his sole determination set on finding the former

cadet. He wondered if it was possible that he had run into some kind of trouble while

taking that walk earlier. What if he had been attacked?

As he waited for the light to change in this miserable traffic, his eyes drifted over to the

side of the road and settled on a pair of trees.

Trees…The _park_.

He had completely forgotten to try and search the park!

He doubted that he would be there at this time of night.

But, it wouldn't hurt to at least take a walk around and see if Raymond was there.

As the light changed, he turned and drove down the street, his fingers drumming on the

wheel anxiously. _'Raymond…I'm sorry. Please, just…be okay.'_

Parker stopped the car in a small parking lot, shutting the door half-heartedly.

A rumble of thunder brought his attention to the sky, looking up to see that the clouds had

gotten darker and more menacing. _'Just go through the park, then go home.'_

If he didn't find Raymond in the park, he hoped he would be home by now.

As he walked along the stone path, he chuckled at the thought of Raymond sitting on the

couch and glaring at him as he would come walking through the door.

The thought of Raymond chewing him out for worrying him crossed his mind,

toying with the idea of them yelling at each other and then having make-up sex.

But then, wouldn't that just complicate things more?

Parker glanced over the side of the bridge, noticing that the river was lacking ducks.

He remembered when he and Raymond came to this park after their awkward breakfast,

strolling through the paths that were lined with green trees and breath taking wild

flowers. The sky was blue and clear, the atmosphere serene.

It was the perfect day, he never wanted to forget it.

It was the day when they rekindled their relationship, smiling at the thought.

They held hands; their pulses matching as their palms were clasped together.

Parker unconsciously clenched his fist as he remembered how perfect their fingers

interlaced; remembering how soft and delicate Raymond's skin was despite the

horrifying violence he encountered as an FBC agent, completely devoid of calluses.

Their clasped hands had been a silent symbol of forgiveness, opening themselves back up

to welcome each other back into their lives.

It had been a delightful, promising beginning…

But now, things were different.

This park, the beholder of the most precious of memories, had grown dark.

The sky had grayed to the shade of charcoal, the branches on the trees swayed violently

and the petals on the flowers were wrenched from their stems.

The light downpour only confirmed his suspicions of the oncoming storm.

The droplets pattered on the road he walked on, his hair and clothes becoming soaked.

It was hopeless…

It had been a complete waste of time trying to search for Raymond, his mood growing

more sour at the realization. He had been a fool, hating himself for being so easy to

forgive. It was bad enough that Jessica had taken advantage of his trust on that

ship, earning a bullet to the leg in the process.

Having that one night stand with Raymond in Malta crushed his spirit and hurt his pride,

unable to look himself in the mirror for days after returning home.

He felt ashamed for letting Jessica escape, it was his fault for getting shot and being

unable to chase after her. He left the states after he recovered, moving to England for a

fresh start. But now, Raymond had somehow slithered his way back into his life and

had him believe that they were romantically involved, preventing him from seeing

Raymond for what he really was-a murderer.

He housed and took care of a criminal, the source of this whole investigation.

And now that he knew the truth, Raymond had probably taken off.

He would get away with it…

Sylvia, Thomas, and Moore, they all would never look at him the same way again.

He had finally settled in, he had finally found a place he could call home and

he hated Raymond for ruining everything.

What was he doing with himself?

He wasted an entire day looking for Raymond, worrying himself sick over his well being.

He was cold, wet and exhausted. Now, all he wanted was to go home…

With a sigh, he turned on his heel in the middle of the path to head back to the car.

A sneeze caught his attention, bringing his gaze to a lone bench that overlooked the lake.

The same lake that he and Raymond watched together.

Parker peered at the bench, seeing what he thought was a head full of red hair.

"…Raymond?" he called out uncertainly, quickening his step.

He heard a groan, and Raymond sat up from where he laid, resting his arm on the back.

"Raymond!" Parker cried as he ran over to the bench, pausing as his hands grabbed onto

the back of the seat. Raymond looked up at Parker lazily, pushing himself off the

wooden bench. "Ray…" Parker murmured as he took in the redhead's disheveled state.

Raymond was soaking wet from the rain, the fringe on the right side of his face sticking

to his cheek. His eyes were red and puffy and his breath reeked of alcohol.

"Are you…drunk?" the brunette gawked at the other man.

He had never thought that Raymond could ever be a heavy drinker, it was so unlike him.

Raymond tried and failed to stand up straighter, his body swaying unsteadily.

"Heey…Par-" he hiccuped in mid-sentence. "Parker…What are you doing here?" he

cocked an eyebrow at the other man. "I could say the same about you." Parker walked

around the bench that separated them, standing closer to Raymond in case he fell down.

"I…had a few drinks at a bar…Then, I thought I'd go swimming…But then…I forgot

that I don't have any shorts. So, I've..been here." The redhead hiccuped once more,

running his hand through his damp hair. "Ray, I've been looking all over for you. I was

worried!" Parker grabbed onto his shoulder to help steady him, bending down to meet

with his eye level when Raymond's gaze drifted to the ground.

"Sorry…" he mumbled.

"Come on, let's go." Parker sighed as he grabbed Raymond's hand, pulling on him.

"No! I..I can't." Raymond tugged his hand away, stumbling back when his hand was

released. "What do you mean? Ray, it's raining. We need to go." Parker reached out for

his lover's hand again, frowning when Raymond continued to back away.

"I don't…deserve..to go back with you…" Raymond licked his lips as he tried to speak.

"Parker, I've done…something wrong." He continued, averting his eyes.

"I'm a murderer…I've killed people." Raymond's lips trembled, biting down on them to

repress a sob. "Ray, now's not the time to talk about this, you're drunk." Parker reached

out his hand as he spoke softly, blinking when Raymond smacked his hand away.

"No, it's the perfect time to talk." Raymond tried to brush his fringe away from his face,

his fingers trembling from the cold. "I killed Morgan, Jessica…those kids at the

beach…and, so many more…I just.." Raymond took a breath, dropping back down onto

the bench and leaning back. Parker stepped closer to Raymond, cocking his head to the

side. "What happened, Raymond? Tell me." He urged.

"After Terragrigia…I was kidnapped, interrogated…forced to work for _them_." Raymond

frowned as he recalled his so-called 'employment'. "Them? Who's them?" Parker

narrowed his eyes. _'Kidnapped? Raymond was kidnapped?'_

"Those bastards at Tricell!" The redhead spat, biting his lip before continuing.

"They forced me to work with that bitch, Jessica. I was blackmailed into doing whatever

they asked. They wanted Morgan to tell them where that virus was. That bimbo couldn't

even do a decent job as a spy…I had to do it." Raymond sat up in his seat, leaning

forward. "I..Rachael and I got on that blasted ship. She died…some partner I turned out

to be." He murmured sadly. Parker shook his head in confusion. "Ray, you're not

making sense. What does this have to do with murder?"

"I did what they wanted…but it was wrong. I made a mistake, they have the virus and

they can do whatever they want with it. They had to be stopped!" Raymond raised his

voice. "I didn't have a choice, it was my fault! I had to make it right…I had to stop them.

With Morgan, Jessica and those kids alive…it would never end. They would always do

business with the bioterrorists. I just couldn't…I couldn't let it happen again.

Letting them get away with the virus was wrong, and killing them was wrong.

No matter what I try to do…I just can't fix it."

Parker barely understood what Raymond was trying to tell him, but it was clear that

Raymond had been used. He wished that he knew exactly what the former cadet was

trying to say, but it was nearly impossible when he was so intoxicated.

"I didn't have the right to take their lives, Parker, I know that. I knew all along…"

Raymond mumbled, bowing his head. "I just wanted it all to stop…"

He got up from the bench only to drop to his knees in the wet grass, looking up at the

Italian. "Please…kill me, I don't deserve to live. I can't live like this anymore..Please…"

Raymond pleaded to the brunette, his body shivering.

"Don't talk like that, Raymond. Come on, get up." Parker tried pulling on Raymond's

arm, sighing in exasperation. "I deserve to die! Let me die!" Raymond yelled again.

"I order you to stay alive, cadet!" Parker barked at him, stunning the redhead.

"You…said that before, once." Raymond frowned as he tried to remember.

"It was…In Terragrigia." Parker realized. "Do you remember?" he knelt down in front of

Raymond, asking more calmly. "I left you in that hallway, alone. You were injured, I had

no choice but to go and find something to stop the bleeding." Parker murmured softly,

looking into Raymond's green eyes. "You called me on the radio, you didn't sound so

sure that you were going to make it." Raymond nodded absent-mindedly.

"I remember…" he mumbled.

"I wasn't about to let you die like that. I told you I was coming, didn't I?" the Italian

smiled coyly. "You handled yourself well."

"But I was reckless…" Raymond furrowed his eyebrows.

"You were inexperienced, everyone makes mistakes. You have so much to offer,

Raymond. You're strong, and brave. A real fighter." Parker reached out his hand and

ruffled Raymond's hair lovingly. "I'm proud of you, cadet." He winked.

Raymond threw himself at the brunette, wrapping his arms around his neck and sobbed

shamelessly. Parker wrapped his arms around the shivering redhead, running his fingers

through his damp hair comfortingly. "It's alright, Ray, I'm here." He whispered, kissing

the salty droplets on his cheeks. Raymond didn't care that he was crying in front of his

lover, the alcohol had dissolved his barrier and he lost control over his emotions.

He was so fed up with trying to act strong, trying to keep up his image as the hardened

agent. He was so tired of fighting something that had no end, tired of running away and

being in constant fear of being hunted down. Like anyone else, he desired to live a

normal and happy life. In the beginning, he had wanted to help people, that was the

whole reason why he joined the FBC. But he had no idea what the job entailed, the

horrors that awaited him and his fellow recruits. He wasn't even given the option to quit,

having been taken against his will and forced to retrieve a deadly weapon for the sake of

protecting what he cared about most. Now that he was finally reunited with Parker, his

sole motivation in life, he felt complete.

But, knowing his luck, he probably wouldn't be granted the freedom to enjoy the

remainder of his life with his lover.

He wondered, just what did he do in the beginning of his life to deserve this?

"Come on, let's get home before you catch cold." Parker helped his lover stand before

wrapping his arm around his shoulders, holding onto his waist as he helped him walk. He

grit his teeth as the rain continued to pound on him and his lover, soaking their clothes

through and through, chilling their bodies.

When Raymond was sober, they could talk then, but right now all that mattered was

getting warm and dry. Raymond grunted as he tried keep up with Parker's pace,

embarrassed that Parker was half-carrying and half-dragging him through the park.

"Almost there, Ray." Parker murmured encouragingly, spotting the car in the parking lot.

Taking his keys from his pocket, he unlocked the door and opened it before helping

Raymond sit on the seat, lifting up his legs and moving them inside the car.

After securing his seatbelt, he shut the door and ran over to the driver's side to let himself

in, quickly turning the car on and cranked up the heat as far as it would go.

Raymond wrapped his arms around himself to try and keep warm, the rain that pounded

against the windshield and roof of the car only made him feel colder as the weather grew

worse. Parker looked at Raymond as he continued to shiver, taking his hands and placing

them in front of the heating vent. "Keep your hands here, it'll help keep you warm until

we get home." Raymond watched Parker intently as he drove, wondering why this man

even bothered caring for him. He was a criminal, why should Parker care if he froze?

"A change of clothes and something hot to drink sounds nice, doesn't it?" Parker looked

back at Raymond and smiled before looking back at the road.

Raymond jumped when he felt Parker's hand on his knee, squeezing him reassuringly.

Raymond held onto his lover's hand, their joined hands trembling from the cold.

'_You're too good of a man to be with someone like me, Parker…'_

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Parker stopped the car in front of the apartment building, turning off the engine.

Upon getting out, he rushed to the other side and opened Raymond's door, unbuckling his

seatbelt before leaning in to wrap his arm around his lover's waist.

Raymond stumbled as he stepped out of the car, relieved that Parker was holding onto

him securely. Parker swung open the door and the duo stepped inside, eyeing the

staircase begrudgingly. "Don't worry, I've got you. We can make it up." Parker lead the

way towards the stairs, often taking a step and waiting for Raymond to take a step.

Holding onto Raymond brought back memories, remembering that he held onto the cadet

before back in Terragrigia and on The Queen Zenobia.

The hell they endured and the violence they dealt for the sake of survival had always, by

some form of fate, brought them together.

He enjoyed the contact they shared in this moment, yet despised how sopping wet their

clothes were as they clung to their skins. He pitied Raymond as he felt his lithe form

shivering against his side, his teeth chattering.

A hot shower and a nice warm bed sounded fantastic, his desire for warmth renewed his

determination and gave him that extra push to continue onwards.

Once they reached the landing, Parker rested his hand on a wall as he tried to catch his

breath after climbing all those stairs. After a few moments, he readjusted his grip on

Raymond before starting to walk the few feet it took to reach the door.

As Parker began unlocking the door, Raymond's grip on his shoulder tightened.

Parker took notice of the sudden pressure on his shoulder and looked back at Raymond,

smiling at his disheveled features and still found him beautiful.

Raymond placed a kiss on the Italian's cheek, blushing when Parker chuckled and briefly

moved his hand from his waist down to squeeze the redhead's ass.

Parker helped Raymond walk inside, shutting and locking the door behind them.

"Alright, let's get you out of those wet clothes. Sit here." Parker instructed as he helped

Raymond sit on the arm of the couch, beginning to remove the damp clothing.

Parker placed Raymond's trench coat onto the coat rack, unbuttoning his shirt and

peeling it off before removing the belt on his pants. Parker grunted as he knelt down to

untie Raymond's shoes, pulling them off along with the socks before unbuttoning his

slacks. Raymond shivered as Parker's fingers grazed his bare skin as he attempted to

remove his pants, standing up so they could be pulled down along with his boxers.

"There." Parker grinned wickedly before undressing himself, leaving all their clothes on

the floor to be dealt with later. "Come here.." Parker lifted Raymond off the floor,

carrying him in his arms as he walked towards the bathroom.

Raymond gasped when he had suddenly been lifted off his feet, blushing and averting his

eyes as he was carried by his lover.

Once they were in the bathroom, Parker shut the door and guided Raymond into the

shower before turning on the warm water. Raymond jumped as the water, cold at first,

pattered against his back. Parker smiled and ran his hands through Raymond's hair,

rubbing his palms over his cold ears to warm them up.

Raymond wrapped his arms around Parker's neck, nuzzling his neck. The Italian kept the

redhead close, rubbing his hand on Raymond's back comfortingly.

Despite everything that has happened, all his worries and doubts, he still loved this man.

He didn't want Raymond to leave him, not ever.

"I'm so sorry, Parker…For everything." Raymond murmured regretfully, taking comfort

as he stood close to the brunette's chest, listening to his heart beat.

"It's okay…" Parker continued to shush him, stroking his hair.

The warmth the shower brought helped clear his head, but it didn't relieve him of the

guilt he felt over what he had done. Maybe all those people didn't deserve to die, despite

their selfish and harmful intentions. Maybe he didn't have the right to kill them…

After all these years, after everything he endured at the hands of the greedy, it had

become too much to bare alone. He just wanted it to end…

For the longest time, he felt truly alone, and thought that it had been up to him to conquer

those responsible for causing so much pain and suffering.

But in these recent weeks, he had found Parker again, and he felt so safe.

He had always felt content and happy around Parker, wishing that he had discovered this

fact sooner and started a life with the other man as quickly as he had realized it.

Perhaps then, all of this could have been prevented.

But it's too late now, there's blood on his hands.

No matter what he did or said to justify his actions, he could never be clean again.

Parker placed his hand on Raymond's cheek, his thumb stroking the skin just below his

eye before leaning in for a kiss. Raymond's felt the tears well up in his eyes once again,

shutting them closed tightly in the hopes of preventing them from falling.

Regardless, Parker tasted the salty droplets on his lover's cheeks as he continued to kiss

him, gently nibbling on his lower lip. Raymond bit his lip to silence the sobs, his

shoulders trembling despite his attempts to stop himself.

Parker caressed Raymond's hip, the redhead shivered as the touches tickled his skin.

The brunette then suckled on one of Raymond's pink nipples, giving it a light nip before

moving his lips to the other. Raymond leaned back against the tiled wall, appreciating

Parker's loving touches as the warm water showered over their quickly warming bodies.

Parker's lips trailed along the redhead's chest, kissing his belly before flicking the tip of

his tongue over his naval. Raymond's eyes snapped open as he realized what Parker was

about to do next, his hand brushing away a few stray hairs from his lover's face.

"You don't have to…" he whispered.

"I want to." Parker looked up at the vixen before him, winking reassuringly.

Parker realized that Raymond was having doubts of his worthiness, wanting to prove him

wrong. He loved Raymond, regardless of everything that had transpired.

Parker gave Raymond's cock a few gentle strokes, smiling when Raymond arched his

back against the wall with a sharp gasp. He then took Raymond into his mouth, his hands

resting on his lover's hips. Raymond groaned as his head fell back against the wall,

lowering his gaze to watch his lover pleasure him so selflessly.

Parker inwardly smiled as his ministrations helped Raymond forget his misery,

quickening his pace and feeling his body grow hot as the redhead moaned louder.

"Parker…I need you.." Raymond murmured, barely audible over the spray of water.

The Italian paused and got up from his knees, his hands holding his lover's face.

"What do you need me to do?" he asked softly.

Raymond turned around so his back faced the brunette, bracing his hands on the wall in

front of him. Parker grabbed Raymond's hips when the redhead's rear end rubbed against

his front, biting his lip in anticipation. "I'll go get the…"

"No, now…I need you now. I can't wait anymore." Raymond insisted, looking over his

shoulder to peer at his lover, licking his lips sensually.

Parker stared at Raymond wordlessly, hesitant at first, before leaning in to wrap his arms

around his lover and kissed him deeply. Raymond slipped his tongue into Parker's

mouth, trembling as their tongues met. Parker broke the kiss briefly, grabbing his cock

and positioning it at Raymond's entrance and pushed himself inside of him.

Raymond grunted as his lover's cock entered him roughly, part of him regretting the

decision of not giving Parker time to retrieve the lube.

"If you change your mind, I can still get it." Parker rubbed his hand along Raymond's

neck, his fingertips delving into his hair and massaged his scalp.

"It's fine, really." Raymond gave a faint smile in reassurance.

"Alright, if you insist…" Parker replied, wrapping one arm around Raymond while his

other hand busied itself with stroking Raymond's member.

Raymond's eyes fluttered closed and he bit his lip, moaning as Parker began thrusting

into him faster. He placed his forehead against the cool tiled wall and enjoyed Parker's

embrace as he moved within him, almost forgetting the pain entirely.

Parker panted as he threw caution to the wind and continued to ram into Raymond's ass,

biting into the redhead's shoulder. "Ahh-!" Raymond cried as Parker's cock hit that spot

within him, triggering the beginnings of his orgasm.

"Ahh! P-Parker! Ah-Ah!" Raymond grit his teeth as his body tensed before releasing a

breath and relaxed against the wall, placing his hand over Parker's arm.

Parker growled possessively, crying out as he reached his own orgasm, wrapping both

arms around Raymond protectively. Raymond smiled as Parker nuzzled his face in his

neck, purring in contentment. At last, he felt at peace, enjoying the warmth of Parker's

body pressed against him as the shower cleansed him of his sorrow.

For the longest time, he thought that he would never find love or forgiveness, his hands

forever dirtied and his soul tainted from dealing violent acts of justice and vengeance.

For the first time in years, he didn't have to feel or remember.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

I apologize for being away for so long, I had gotten busy with holiday shenanigans and

then got sick. But, I'm making it up to you now.

Some of you may think that it's wrong of me to write Raymond out of character and

have him cry like this, but I think it's realistic for anyone to break down after going

through so much; all that fear and pain and losing so much because of it.

I try to be as realistic and true to the characters as much as possible.

This chapter is rather short, mostly because the last chapter was _so_ long; all one hundred

and nine pages were worth about six chapters, and it took two months to write.

Also, I'm still recovering from a nasty cold, so I hope the story doesn't look too iffy.

The next chapter will have more content, but I'm going to wait awhile on it because there

are some things coming up in the next few weeks.

I hope you're all well and enjoying the holidays!

Lin


	11. The Pact

Parker's eyes fluttered open when he felt movement in his arms, his gaze moving to the

curled form of his lover. Despite the darkness in his bedroom, he could still make out

Raymond's outline, noticing that his hand was pressed to his head.

"Hey…" he murmured quietly as he ran his fingers through his lover's fiery red hair.

Raymond gave a pained grunt in response, nuzzling his face in the brunette's chest.

Parker gave a sympathetic smile as he continued to pet Raymond's head, peering over to

see his clock blinking 7:30 from the bedside table.

Just barely three hours before, he had been jostled awake in the late hours of the night

when Raymond haphazardly stumbled out of bed and made a mad dash to the bathroom.

Needless to say, the Italian much prefers the noises his lover makes when they're in bed.

Thankfully, he had made it to the sink in time when his innards decided it was time to

evacuate his choice of poison. Afterwards, he had helped his lover crawl back into bed.

He had hoped that Raymond had settled down enough to get some sleep,

realizing now that it had been a pipe dream as the other man continued to stir in the hopes

of finding a comfortable position.

"Does your head hurt?" Parker asked the obvious.

"Like I've been hit by a truck…" Raymond murmured back, hissing when he felt the

incessant zing of pain hit him as if his skull was being drilled into.

"I'll go get you some medicine, be right back-" Parker paused as he was starting to sit up

in bed, feeling Raymond hold onto his right arm securely.

"I'm coming back, Ray." He chuckled, giving his arm an experimental tug.

His smile fell when his lover's grip did not slacken, reaching over to rub his hand on

Raymond's side comfortingly. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise." He assured him.

He heard Raymond hum uncertainly before releasing his arm, curling up into a ball once

he stood up and made his way towards the kitchen.

Raymond draped one arm over his side during Parker's brief absence while his other

hand was practically glued to his forehead, his fingertips rubbing in circular motions to

soothe the pounding headache. He vaguely remembered walking into the park after

drinking his fill at one of the pubs yesterday, noting that it was the stupidest mistake he

could have made. He hadn't drunk nearly that much in his whole life, making the mental

note to never drink again if it meant experiencing this all over again.

He was exhausted from the lack of sleep and his legs were sore from what he had

assumed was due to the long walk. But all this was a minor inconvenience compared to

the bigger picture, one that he was almost thankful for the headache as it provided a

distraction from remembering past events.

He was blessed to have Parker taking care of him like this, both amazed and undeserving.

His ears perked up at the sound of Parker coming back into the room, wincing inwardly

as he heard his lover stub his foot and curse with a hiss.

"You could turn a light on to see, Parker…" he mused with a crooked grin.

"And ruin the mood? Nah…" Parker chuckled as he sat down on the bed, reaching his

closed hand forward blindly and dropping the white capsules into Raymond's palm.

Raymond took the pills gratefully with a sigh, popping them into his mouth and reaching

his hand out to grasp a glass of water and drank half of its cold, crisp contents.

"Thanks…" he mumbled in gratitude as he licked the remnants of water from his lips.

Parker took the glass back and placed it onto the bedside table, briefly fumbling when he

realized it wasn't entirely on a flat surface before pushing it closer to the lamp.

"There, that should help with the pain." Parker smiled as he began to caress Raymond's

hair once more, relishing the relieved sigh that his lover emitted.

Raymond took hold of Parker's forearm and tugged on it, wordlessly begging his lover to

lie back down with him. Parker smiled and got under the covers to snuggle with the

redhead, enveloping him in his broad arms. Raymond draped his arm over the Italian's

bare chest and nuzzled his face closer to his neck before finally drifting to sleep.

Parker decided to lay with his lover until he was certain he had fallen asleep, smiling as

he felt Raymond's chest rise and fall evenly.

He had a hard time getting some sleep himself, waking up every other hour as his worry

for Raymond's well being spiked. Yesterday brought an alarming truth to light, albeit a

skewed and incomplete one. That, on top of Raymond's distress and pleas for death, only

heightened Parker's naturally protective instincts.

There was still a lot that he didn't know and he desperately wanted to uncover it, sort it,

and put it in the past where it belonged. But he knew that was wishful thinking…

He knew that trouble was stirring, and it was only a matter of time before it boiled over.

He couldn't even think that far, and he didn't want to.

For now, his primary objective was to find out what happened and get Raymond back

into a functional mindset. Anything in between would have to wait.

Parker stroked Raymond's hair gingerly and placed a kiss on his head, determining that

the lack of a response signified that his lover was deeply asleep.

Slowly pulling away from the limp form, Parker stood up from bed and placed the sheets

back in place to keep Raymond warm. Quietly tip-toeing towards his dresser, he grabbed

a pair jeans, a green dress shirt and some socks before making his way towards the door.

Parker slipped out of the room and closed the door before making his way towards the

couch, laying his clothes on the back of it before slipping his pants on.

Spotting the mess of sopping wet clothes lying on the floor, he bent down to pick

them up and carried them to the laundry room to be washed later.

He couldn't sleep anymore when his mind was circulating so many questions.

So instead of staying in the warm confines of their bed, he decided to make use of his

energy by making breakfast. Parker then got out a frying pan, chuckling to himself when

he realized he placed a spoon in the pan instead of a spatula.

'_It hasn't been __**that**__ long since I've cooked…'_ he mused.

After getting out a bowl and spatula, he grabbed the pancake mix from one of the top

cabinets and began to busy himself with reading the recipe.

After taking out some eggs and a measuring cup of water, he poured a quarter of the

box's contents into the bowl and began to mix up the concoction.

He breathed a content sigh as he carefully poured even blots of batter into the pan,

relishing the sizzle as he waited to flip them over.

He had been grateful for the distraction, his focus completely set on the stove.

He wondered if Raymond liked butter on his pancakes, or the traditional flood of maple

syrup. Part of him wanted to go the extra mile and decorate the hot cakes with berries…

Before he realized it, he soon had used up the entire mix, grinning sheepishly at the tilting

tower of pancakes. _'Well, I know what we're eating for the next week.' _

While setting the table, he heard the bedroom door creak open and smiled as Raymond

walked out dressed in fitting jeans, an untucked white button-up shirt and socks.

Raymond took notice of Parker's stare and rolled his eyes.

"Excuse me for my laziness." He scoffed.

"I'm not saying anything." Parker laughed and held up his hands innocently, walking

forward to envelop the redhead in his arms once again before kissing him.

"You always look amazing." Parker grinned as he saw Raymond's cheeks pinken.

Raymond glanced at the table and cocked an eyebrow. "I don't think we can eat all this."

He chuckled. "That's what leftovers are for." Parker chuckled as he pulled out a chair for

Raymond, motioning for him to sit down. Raymond sat down and eyed the stack, biting

his lip to repress a laugh when he realized that it almost obscured his vision of the

stove. "Again, I don't think we can eat all this." He insisted, resting his arms on the table.

"I guess you're starting to feel better now, huh?" Parker raised a brow as he picked up a

fork and placed three pancakes onto Raymond's plate before serving himself.

"I suppose…" Raymond replied faintly, shrugging his shoulder as his gaze drifted to his

plate. Parker eyed his lover as he poured the orange juice in their glasses.

"You should eat, you need it." He murmured as he took a sip from his glass.

The corner of Raymond's mouth curved upward in a half-smile as Parker doted on him.

"Did you use all the mix?" Raymond asked half-heartedly as he glanced up at the

brunette. "Yeah, I needed the distraction." Parker snorted as he cut into his pancakes and

began shoveling them into his mouth. "So, if we had a disagreement, does that mean

you'll bake a soufflé?" the redhead joked, licking his lips of syrup.

"Ha, if we had an argument I'd probably bake a pie." He sniggered.

Raymond raised an eyebrow at the response. "Pie?"

"The pie-in-the-face gag never gets old, sweetheart." Parker grinned devilishly.

"You wouldn't…" Raymond narrowed his eyebrows accusingly, failing to repress a

smile. "Nah, it would be a real pain in the ass to clean up." Raymond crossed his arms

defensively, tucking his tongue into his cheek. "Honestly, Raymond, you know I would

never do that to you." Parker chuckled at the face Raymond made at him.

"Uh-huh, I'll have to keep my eye on you…" Raymond continued to eat.

"I thought you already were." Parker leaned forward, his hand grasping Raymond's.

"Always." Raymond smiled fondly.

Parker smiled back as he took in Raymond's casual appearance, relieved that he was

finally getting some color back in his face. Last night, Raymond looked so pale and

exhausted. At least now he looked livelier.

Seeing him so relaxed and well rested made him wonder if talking about the past would

be such a good idea. It needed to be done sooner or later.

Wasn't it always best to rip the bandage off instead of slowly peeling away the layer?

Parker jumped when he suddenly felt Raymond's tongue caress his lips, purring as

his lover pulled away with a coy grin. "That finally got your attention." The redhead

chuckled as he walked back around the table to take his empty plate to the sink.

"Sorry, I was a bit preoccupied." Parker smiled as he turned and rested his arm on

the back of his chair. Raymond peered over his shoulder at Parker skeptically as he

washed off his plate and set it down on the counter.

Parker got up from the table and took the plate of pancakes before walking to the fridge

and set it on the top shelf, dreading the next week's leftovers.

"Ray, I think we should talk about what happened yesterday…" he motioned his hand

towards the couch. Raymond looked at Parker wearily, glancing at the couch before

walking over to sit down. He had been somewhat blessed with that migraine that allowed

him to think of the physical pain rather than the emotional toll.

Now, Parker had pointed out the obvious elephant in the room and it brought everything

back into focus as if it all occurred just moments ago.

Parker sat down with a sigh, placing his hands on his knees as he pondered on what to

say. He could only imagine how Raymond must feel…

Embarrassed? Awkward? Defensive?

He was hesitant to start this conversation, worrying that it would change things between

them. He had to know the truth, plain and simple.

So why was his heart beating so hard?

Perhaps, he feared to know who Raymond truly was; terrified that the man he came to

know and love had been a façade. He almost didn't want to know anything at all, almost.

Ignorance was bliss, to an extent.

'_If you really love him, you have to know more about him._

_If you want to know more about him, you have to be completely honest…'_

Parker felt at ease with that notion, deciding to just let go and see what happens.

Maybe his previous judgement was too critical, maybe even wrong.

He so _desperately_ wanted to be wrong…

"Ray, I don't know how much you remember about yesterday, but we were in the park

and you told me that you are a murderer and you mentioned something about Tricell…"

Parker tried to recall the bits that the redhead had raved about in his drunken daze, failing

to make sense of it. Raymond glanced down at the floor as he leaned forward until his

elbows rested on his knees, clasping his hands together.

"Parker…" he murmured uncertainly, afraid to make eye contact with his lover.

"It's alright, you can tell me." Parker placed a hand onto Raymond's shoulder.

Raymond chanced a sidelong glance at the Italian, parting his lips to speak only to close

them again anxiously. He rubbed his face with a groan, unsure of where to start.

"It all started after the Terragrigia Panic, right after I left the hospital…" he started,

glancing over at Parker curiously to watch his reaction, relieved to see his lover calm and

collected as he began his confession.

"I was walking home, and was picked up by some men in a van. They just…came out of

no where and grabbed me. I was drugged and I woke up in this room. I couldn't see

anything, but someone else was in there with me." Raymond clenched his fists as he

recalled how he felt so cornered and vulnerable, relishing the gentle caress of Parker's

hand on his knee. "I don't know who he was, but he somehow knew about me. He had

people who were watching me, keeping tabs on me. On someone's recommendation, he

asked me to work for him. He wanted me to get close to Morgan and retrieve the

research on the new virus, a virus that Morgan stole and gave to Veltro to test."

"The T-Abyss…" Parker murmured, Raymond nodding in confirmation.

"I refused, at first. But…" Raymond glanced at Parker, remembering all too well how his

then-commander's life had been threatened and it had been up to him to protect him.

Even back then, before their relationship was cultivated, he loved Parker.

Despite his love and loyalty to this man, he still felt like a pathetic, spineless fool for

choosing to become a spy just to protect one person and risk the lives of thousands.

Regardless, if he had to make the decision again, it would still have the same outcome.

And yet, he didn't want Parker to know.

He couldn't bear it if Parker despised him for his decision.

"…He threatened to destroy everything and everyone I cared about."

Parker's eyes saddened at the thought of someone's life depending on the choice of

whether or not to become a spy, infiltrate a terrorist's base of operations-a biohazard hot

zone-and obtain a deadly viral weapon.

He wondered if Raymond's family or friends had been spared after all…

"I gave in and accepted the deal." Raymond muttered begrudgingly.

"I was blindfolded and lead out of the building, finding myself in front of my apartment.

Later, I was told that I would be working with Jessica. We tried to find out more

information, but Morgan had always been a cautious man-we couldn't get anything out of

him. When my suspicions of Morgan being involved with the Terragrigia Panic were

confirmed, I contacted O'Brian to tell him what I overheard Morgan say to Norman; a

conversation they had over the phone. And, we developed the plan to make everyone

believe that Veltro had returned." He sighed as he leaned back against the couch, his

fingers interlacing with Parker's. Raymond closed his eyes painfully as he gathered the

courage to speak again.

"I obtained a sample of the virus, and gave it to Jessica to give to Tricell…"

When there was no outburst from his lover, their fingers still interlaced, he opened his

eyes to see Parker staring back at him in disbelief.

Well, disbelief was better than what he had always anticipated.

"How…?" Parker laid back against the couch, stunned at the revelation.

"I found the lab and secured a vial and the research papers." Raymond murmured.

"I kept them with me, up until the day I met up with Jessica in Florence."

"Florence? You mean, you still had it when we were together?" Parker gawked at him.

"Yeah, I hid it while you were still recovering in the hospital. I took everything when I

left…" Raymond squeezed onto Parker's hand, hoping that he would never let go.

The question of why Raymond left him in Malta didn't seem so vague anymore.

He had only been doing his job…

On the bright side, as dim as it seemed, Raymond hadn't used him for a one-night stand.

Refusing to dwell on it, he urged Raymond to continue. "What happened next?"

Raymond immediately noticed the hurt in Parker's eyes and wished he had told him the

truth, but didn't have the heart to be as straightforward. _'It was all for you…'_

Maybe one day, he could tell him the truth of why he accepted the job.

"After meeting with Jessica and giving her the research and sample, my part of the

agreement was fulfilled. Yet, Tricell contacted me and said I was more than welcome to

join them and work full-time. I refused and broke contact with them."

Raymond frowned as he recalled that text message from the organization, the gall they

possessed to say, in a sense, that he had been a good slave and wanted his

'_assistance'_ in the future. "I had nightmares, I couldn't handle the guilt anymore."

Raymond turned to face Parker, looking him in the eye.

"I made a terrible mistake by giving them that sample. They're able to replicate it and use

it however they want, and they can sell it to anyone that can afford it. I…" Raymond

paused to compose himself, taking in a breath before continuing.

"I went after them. For these past two years, I tracked down any facility they had in the

states and destroyed them. Anyone who happened to be inside, was killed along with the

explosion. At the time, I didn't consider them as human beings anymore, they were no

different than what we were paid to hunt down and kill…" Raymond closed his eyes,

reliving those moments all over again.

The metallic scent of blood, the ringing in his ears from the bomb's explosion, the

adrenaline rush that coursed through his veins as he felt the need to get it over with.

He killed scientists and guards alike, uncaring who got in his way.

He had felt so much hatred and disgust for those people…

Yet, they may have had families, people who would miss them and mourn for them.

He took away someone's life, killed people who mattered to someone else.

But then, who were they to make him feel guilty for killing them when they killed so

many more with such a terrifying weapon?

He supposed, in this situation, no one was in the right.

"I was only trying to correct my mistake and stop them before more people got hurt."

Parker squeezed Raymond's hand reassuringly.

"Later, I found out that Jessica was still an informant for Tricell and decided to pay her a

visit. We talked, and I realized that she hadn't changed at all…She didn't care who was

affected by the virus. She knew what happens when someone was infected with T-Abyss,

and she just didn't care." Raymond shook his head in disbelief.

"After everything we had been through, she still didn't understand the gravity of our

actions, the collateral damage involved. I couldn't risk her giving any more 'advice' to

the organization than she had already offered. I killed her…" Raymond winced at his

own words as they flowed with such ease. "I shot her, made it look like a burglary, and

left…" He remembered Jessica's hazel eyes, staring back at him accusingly.

She looked so fearful, so shocked that he could do such a thing to her.

He hadn't known her for very long, only knowing as much as her personality and

whatever rumors that were circulated in the FBC.

She probably had a family too, somewhere. They were probably wondering what

happened to her and want justice for her death.

In a way, it felt unfair to have simply found her and killed her with a single shot to the

head. She didn't even get the chance to plea her case, offer to change her ways, or defend

herself and fight back. It was too quick and easy, unfairly so.

He's not proud of himself, that was for certain, but the notion didn't quell much of his

guilt. Perhaps, it may have been a better solution to turn her over to federal authorities.

"Ray?" he heard Parker's voice murmur, breaking him from his thoughts.

"What happened after that?" Parker pushed for him to continue, watching him with

concern when had suddenly grown quiet. Raymond licked his lips as he took a moment to

remember where he had left off. "I had heard that it was possible for Morgan to make

parole, if he passed a psychological examination. His freedom would've still been

limited, given his involvement with Veltro, but he was _still_ a flight risk." Raymond's

eyes narrowed as he felt a surge of anger upon remembering his fellow cadets

dying in Terragrigia, softening when he remembered his boss' death.

"I traveled to D.C. and infiltrated the prison, incapacitated a guard and posed as him. I

poisoned a tray of food and took it to Morgan. I waited until he…died, before leaving."

He remembered Morgan's labored breathing, the awful hacking and choking sounds he

emitted as his lungs strained for air. It must've been painful, frightening, when you know

you're close to dying and there's nothing that can be done.

Morgan had been a cold, calculating, selfish bastard that made the heartless decision to

throw away his men's lives. Yet, he was still just an old man.

If he had gone free, he may not have had enough time left to live to cause trouble.

Did he deserve to live a few more years to enjoy life's blessings, despite what he'd done?

"Ray, are you sure you're up for talking? We can save the rest for later…" Parker

wrapped an arm around his lover's shoulders, growing more concerned when Raymond's

emerald eyes appeared to be dimmer than a few moments ago.

He didn't want to remember, but he knew that was a selfish, impossible desire.

At the least, he just wanted tell the story and get it off his chest, before it destroyed him.

"No, it's alright, I want to finish telling you." Raymond looked up at the brunette, forcing

a small smile to reassure him. "I had found a list of dealings from one of the facilities, a

record that kept track of where the virus was being sold across the world. I came here

when I read that one was taking place." Raymond idly brushed back his fringe away from

his face, rubbing his face with a sigh as his back relaxed and sank further into the couch.

He had never realized how tiring it could be to tell a story.

"…Those kids at the beach, right?" Parker asked, stroking the back of Raymond's

hand comfortingly. "Right. The record said that they were meeting with someone in

Roarke. I didn't know where, but I asked around if anyone knew of any inactive

businesses or broken down buildings. They said to try the old fishery at the beach. After

finding the address, I went down there and heard a commotion. Yelling, for the most part.

I went in to investigate, and it was too late." Raymond sighed sadly.

"Somehow, the virus had gotten out of control and most of their group had mutated. They

were attacking each other. To stop the infection from spreading, I had to terminate them.

Even the ones who hadn't mutated said they came into contact with the virus, they were

infected too. I didn't have a vaccine with me, I couldn't save them…" Raymond bit his

lip when his voice cracked.

Parker held Raymond in a tight hug, running his fingers through his hair to soothe him.

He hadn't realized until now how much of a toll it took on Raymond, wondering how he

even found the strength to go on living this long.

Bioterrorism was never an easy fight, much less a fair one.

Humans, fighting against their own kind _and_ their petri dish abominations…

And for what? The sake of science? Curiosity? A better tomorrow?

Nothing but a bunch of hollow lies.

Years ago, he realized that monsters did exist.

But they weren't big, scaly creatures with sharp teeth that hid under your bed or in your

closet; they were people, flesh and bone, with emotions and a sense of right and wrong

that walked amongst the innocent day in and day out.

While BOWs were terrifying in their own right, they weren't the ones to be feared.

It was the common man.

Now, holding his distraught lover in his arms like this, he remembered the days when it

took everything he had to repress the desire to act upon the curiosity of what a bullet

tasted like. And yet, he's still here today, alive.

It was all thanks to whatever gumption he had left to help people.

He never wanted anyone to feel the same fear and pain he had.

And now, he wished he knew how to take away his love's pain.

"I…set the building on fire. I should've done more, but…" Raymond murmured, biting

his lip to the point where he wondered if it would bleed.

He shouldn't care if he bled, a murderer deserved pain and suffering as atonement.

"You did all you could, Ray, it was their choice and their mistake. It's not your fault."

Parker tried to comfort the redhead, tried to contradict his blame.

Raymond failed to repress even the faintest of a whimper as he recalled encountering the

sole survivor, Brad. Brad was probably just a few years younger than him, young and

naïve. Just like himself, the kid got himself into a horrible situation that he couldn't get

out of. Raymond had rescued him, pitied him, and even thought of sparing him after all

the horrors he had seen. The heartbreak of watching your friends die at the hands of

monsters was something he could relate to. He could barely stand the memory of

watching his fellow agents being ripped apart by Hunters, he couldn't fathom the sight of

them turning into Hunters, or something worse.

Yet, he couldn't save him.

In the end, he didn't have a vaccine to prevent him from mutating, he would've lost

control of himself and wrecked havoc on innocent people.

Perhaps that was the reason why his death took the most from his conscience, because he

had been through a nightmarish ordeal and was forever changed at such a young age.

He and Brad were one and the same.

In a sense, he had killed himself.

Sniffing hard, Raymond sat up straighter and recomposed himself, sighing.

"I stayed behind, tried to find who was responsible for giving them the virus."

Raymond looked at Parker's soft, sapphire eyes as he recalled seeing him again for the

first time in years; a dream he never thought would come true.

"But then I saw you, and then…nothing else mattered." Raymond closed his eyes and

smiled as Parker caressed his cheek, relishing the warmth of his palm.

"I'm sorry, for everything…" he murmurs as he bows his head regretfully.

A soft gasp leaves his lips as Parker suddenly pulls him in for a kiss.

Parker smiles sympathetically as he pulls away to hold Raymond's face in his hands.

"I understand how you feel, I do. You're not entirely to blame for all this." He replies

sincerely, his thumb and forefinger playfully twirling the redhead's fringe on the right

side of his face. "But…I'm a murderer, Parker. I should never have-" Raymond's fallen

gaze is brought to attention when his chin is lifted. "You've been through so much. You

were under a lot of pressure, so much was at stake. It's _not_ your fault." He insisted.

"I understand that if someone with a lot of power threatens you or the people you love,

you'd do anything to protect them. I know that if someone I cared about was in jeopardy,

I might not have been much different." Parker confessed, Raymond staring in disbelief.

"But Jessica, Morgan and those people that worked for Tricell…" he grimaced at the

memories. "You felt that they posed a threat, so you stopped them. I admit that killing

them may have been extreme, but I can't blame you for what happened."

"Can't, or don't want to?" Raymond cocked an eyebrow.

"Both." Parker answered bluntly, Raymond's face forming a smile.

"Don't you think you see too much good in people?" he asked with a snicker.

"Funny, and most would say that I'm a cynical bastard." Parker laughed.

Raymond began to laugh at the remark, unable to remain serious in such a ridiculous

reality he lived. It truly was a laughable life he led; he killed impossible monsters, killed

people, and was loved and forgiven by the most lovable, ignorant saint on earth.

To say that he had a break from sanity would be an understatement.

Raymond held onto his aching stomach as he waited for his bout of laughter to subside.

"Well, this is the first time I've seen you laugh so hard, cadet." Parker chuckled.

Raymond began to wipe at his eyes with a relieved sigh, taking his hand away and

snorted when he saw Parker sticking out his tongue playfully.

"Don't make me start again, I can't take it…" he chuckled.

"Aw, but laughing is good for you, so I've heard." He grinned.

"What am I going to do with you?" Raymond chuckled at Parker's positivity.

"Mmm I know what I want to do with you." Parker purred with a wink.

Raymond rolled his eyes with a snort. "Really? _Now_?" he asked in disbelief.

"Well, why not? We're at home, after all."

"We just had a serious discussion." He retorted with a bemused smile.

"And now it's over, so why not do something that makes us happy?" Parker chuckled.

"I might be open to it." Raymond replied cheekily, sliding closer to Parker.

Parker leaned in and kissed Raymond deeply, breathing heavily as their tongues met.

Raymond groaned with a mixture of pain and pleasure when Parker's hand squeezed his

ass, reminding him of their more rougher time together in the shower last night.

They grew more aroused and blissfully forgetful of their conversation as they continued

to touch and explore each other.

A loud banging was heard from the door, catching their attention.

"BSAA! Open up!" A male voice shouted from the other side, making Parker's heart sink

as dread started creeping in. "Parker? Parker, are you in there?" Sylvia called out.

Parker suddenly cups Raymond's face in his hands, forcing him to look him in the eye.

"Raymond, don't say _anything _to them." He growled in a hushed tone.

"But-" Raymond stared back in disbelief, shocked that Parker would want him to

withhold such crucial information from the authorities.

"Trust me." Parker persisted, Raymond nodded in agreement.

'I hope you know what the hell you're doing…'

"Ram it!" the voice ordered, soon followed by a loud bang as a ram was smashed against

the door. The door swung open and slammed against the wall from the force, splinters

flying from the busted doorframe. Parker immediately stood up from the couch to stand

in front of Raymond, protecting him in case his fellow agents decided to open fire.

Men clad in gray camouflage and bulletproof vests poured into the room, their guns

drawn and aimed at the pair on the couch. "Parker!" Sylvia cried as she pushed past a few

men closest to the doorway, followed by Thomas and Director Moore.

The look of relief on her face turned to confusion and then anger at the sight of Parker

standing protectively in front of the red haired man.

"Raymond Vester, you're under arrest on the suspicion of murder. Come with us." An

agent with short brown hair ordered firmly, his eyes flicking from the redhead to the

brunette, watching to see if either of them made a move.

Raymond stood up from where he sat, held back by Parker and gently nudged to stay

behind him. Parker's eyes remained focused on the unit's leader, feeling a mixture of fear

from the sudden surprise, anger at the threat of Raymond being taken away from him,

and determination to convince them that Raymond wasn't entirely at fault.

When neither man moved, the young commander took the initiative, his eyes moving to

one of his men that stood closest to Parker and blinked at him twice.

An agent with a buzz cut quickly moved in and grabbed Parker's left arm, three other

men quickly joined him to restrain the Italian.

Parker jumped at the sudden onslaught, grunting as he tried to pull his arms free.

The commander then dashed at Raymond and threw himself at the redhead, the both of

them landing on the couch. Raymond snarled and kicked out his right leg, hitting the

younger man in the stomach and kicked him back. Two more men made a grab for the

redhead, each one grabbing an arm and trying to pull him towards the door.

Raymond headbutted the blonde haired man on his right, elbowing him in the gut while

he was stunned. Raymond cried out as the butt of a gun hit the back of his head, dropping

to his knees as his vision went white from the impact. "Get him!" the commander

ordered, grunting as he held his stomach and struggled to stand.

Another agent pounced on Raymond, shoving him onto the floor and pinned him down

while another handcuffed his hands behind his back.

Raymond was roughly pulled up, struggling against the two men that dragged him as he

came back to his senses. "Ray!" Parker cried, growling as he dug his feet into the floor

and tried to push past the four men that held him back.

He had just found him again, after all these years; after everything they've been through.

He couldn't lose him again, he just couldn't.

"Let go of him! Ray!" Parker barked at the agents, kicking at one man's legs and

punched another one that stood in front of him.

If he could just get Raymond and get out of the apartment…

All he ever wanted was to be with Raymond again, why was he being denied that?

"Parker!" Raymond called back, dragging his feet into the floor to slow down the men's

movement, gritting his teeth and throwing his head back to headbutt one of them.

The man yelped as his nose was broken, his grip failing to hold onto the redhead.

But when one man fell, another took its place.

The redhead snarled in frustration as another agent quickly took the injured man's place,

helping to tug Raymond further towards the door.

"Ray! I can fix this! Wait for me-!" Parker yelped when he felt a smack against his cheek,

looking down to see Sylvia. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she chastised him.

Parker glanced back up to see Raymond already out in the hall and dragged towards the

stairway. "Ray…" he mumbled in defeat.

"Sorry about your boyfriend, sir." The blonde agent spoke sympathetically.

"Shut up before I break your arm, you little runt." Parker snarled.

"Alright, boys, I think he's calm enough. Let him go." Moore waved at them as he

walked towards the brunette, eyeing him as he crossed his arms.

The horde of men that held Parker hesitantly released him and backed away before

wandering around the apartment, moving on to the task of searching for evidence.

Parker moved towards the window and placed his arm against the wall, resting his weight

on it as he moved the curtain back. He could see the pair of BSAA operatives struggling

to get Raymond into a car, three more close behind as back up.

The corner of his mouth turned up in a sad smile when Raymond furiously kicked his

foot out and made contact with someone's face, knocking them back onto the pavement.

'_One hell of a fighter…'_ he chuckled with a proud smile.

"Parker, he's a murderer. Why would you hide him from us?" Sylvia asked accusingly,

leaning against the wall next to him.

"We have a history together, you wouldn't understand…" he mumbled faintly.

"What's there to know?" she scoffed as she crossed her arms.

"You two worked together in the FBC, survived the Terragrigia Panic and he obviously

snapped and went on a rampage. And he's got you wrapped around his little finger."

Parker frowned and clenched his fist, resisting the urge to fight back.

"He's using you. He'll kill again, you know."

"Sir, I found these in the bedroom." An agent walked towards Moore while

holding Raymond's passport and magnum. "And that's all I need to know." Sylvia

retorted, walking towards the agent and snatched the passport from his hand and walked

out into the hallway. "Brandon, I'm going to have a chat with that bastard. I'll call you if

I get anything out of him." She spoke casually, Thomas hurrying to catch up with her.

Parker watched the pair leave, grinding his teeth as his friend's words sunk in.

He knew Raymond, probably knew him better than most people.

He had confessed his crimes and stayed with Parker all this time.

This was a man who had not much left to lose, why risk his freedom by talking to him?

He knew that the former cadet had the best intentions.

But the good fight had taken its toll on him, he realized this as they held each other in the

rain. He wasn't sure how much more of this continuous ordeal he could manage on his

own. If anything happened to him during this 'chat', he would have more than a few

choice words to share with his co-workers.

'Raymond, hang in there…'

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Raymond grunted as he was harshly pushed down into a chair, glaring at the raven-haired

agent as he left the room. The room had white walls, a tiled floor, a worn wooden table

and a two-way mirror on the far side next to the door.

He was thankful that this interrogation room had a bright light and a table, it made it

somewhat 'homier'. At least he didn't have to worry about being stalked by shadows…

He was also thankful that the tiled floor was cool to the touch against his socked feet,

sore from all the kicking and thrashing a few moments ago.

It was a shame that he didn't think to slip on some shoes when he woke up earlier.

The door opened and Sylvia walked in along with a blonde haired man, her partner he

had assumed. _'I know that I had a reason for disliking you…'_

Raymond sucked in a calming breath, readying himself for the slew of questions.

"Do you remember me, carrot?" Sylvia asked snidely.

'_Ohhh, right, it's __**you**__ again. Great…'_ Raymond breathed through his nose in annoyance.

"How could I forget about that mouth of yours…" he muttered.

"And to think that you're responsible for all of this. And you were in plain sight too." She

smiled coyly, sitting down in the chair across from him.

"I guess I should be thankful that those waffles of yours didn't have _arsenic_ too." She

snorted upon recalling the first time she met Raymond at Parker's apartment, eating

breakfast, albeit a brief and aggravating one.

'_That can be arranged, you little tart.'_ Raymond bit back any snide remarks he may have,

remembering that Parker wanted him to keep quiet.

He was a patient man. He had all the time in the world to wait for Parker to arrive.

He was mildly curious to see what these half-baked wannabes had in store for him.

"It's fairly obvious, but I'd actually like to hear what excuse you come up with." Sylvia

took out some photos and dropped them onto the table in front of Raymond.

They were colored photos of him.

In his opinion, they were terrible angles.

The first one was of him going down a staircase. The next was of a man, he wouldn't

have known without the zoomed and focused shot of his red hair, in a security uniform.

"Let's start with this one first." She took the second photo back and pushed the first one

closer, tapping her finger on it.

"Paris, why were you here?" Sylvia leaned forward.

"Sad to say I was caught in the tourist traps, just like everyone else." Raymond replied

simply, watching the brunette for a reaction.

"Oh? And your former co-worker, Jessica Sherawat, just happened to live there?"

Sylvia scoffed at his answer. "The photo speaks for itself."

"So, you paid her a visit and what happened?" Sylvia leaned back in her chair, crossing

her arms as she waited for an answer.

Raymond remained quiet, his eyes flicking from her to the blonde man that stood against

the wall near the door, watching him intently. _'I wonder why he's not sitting here…'_

"Did you have something against her?" Raymond brought his attention back to her.

"Well, the two of you and Parker worked together in the FBC. She's really pretty, did

she make a move on your man?" she continued to press him for answers.

'Really? You're going for the crime of passion angle? Amateur…'

"She was a flirt, that doesn't mean she was a _good _one." Raymond replied coolly.

Well, if he was going to wait awhile, he might as well mess with them for a bit.

"So, she _did_ flirt with him?" Sylvia asked, seeing the faintest of smiles grace his lips.

'_You're so __**far**__ off. Really, are you that clueless?'_

Sylvia, figuring that he was jerking her around, changed her tactic.

"I'd _really_ like to know why she has a hole in her head. Really, I do." She pursed her lips

in annoyance after dropping another photo onto the table.

Raymond's eye twitched, just barely stopping himself from visibly grimacing at the sight.

The photo was of Jessica laying against her couch, a small dent in her forehead where the

bullet had pierced her skull. _'Don't fall apart now, not in front of them.'_

It took everything he had to look as uninterested as possible, glancing back up at her.

"Maybe she scorned a past lover." He shrugged.

"It's possible. But her bank records say that she kept to herself a lot of the time. Hardly

ever a dinner for two." Sylvia looked through a document in a folder.

"Jessica got men to do things for her. She was good at manipulation." Raymond

reasoned, focusing his attention on the side wall rather than look at the photo of her corpse.

"Oh? Did she ever try to manipulate you?" the brunette cupped her chin in her hand.

'_Not for the reasons you're thinking of. Besides, her 'boss' did most of the talking…' _

"She manipulated a lot of people." He answered indifferently. Well, it was true.

"I'm asking about _you_." Sylvia pointed at him.

When she didn't receive an answer from the redhead, she sighed and switched the

security camera photos. "We'll come back to that later, then. Tell me why you were in

Washington." She offered the change of topic.

"…Paying tribute to my country." This was true as well, in a sense.

"And how did you go about that?" she snorted.

'_Taking out a sociopathic old man who probably had the AARP on his ass.'_

"Celebrating Independence Day. Fireworks, apple pie, all that stereotypical garbage."

"In _May_?" she raised her eyebrows incredulously.

"My dad was a little backwards in the head when he tried to raise us with traditions."

"I see it runs in the family too." Sylvia chuckled when he rolled his eyes.

"But seriously, why were you there?" she tried to ask again.

"Morgan Lansdale was your boss in the FBC, wasn't he? You must've known that he was

in prison there." _'Of course I did, we all knew. Everyone was happy about it too.'_

"What for, assaulting someone in a game shuffleboard?" he joked with a straight face.

"You know damn well why he was there." Sylvia grumbled, getting irritated with his

half-answers and mind games. "You asked." He shrugged.

"He was poisoned. You slipped arsenic into his lunch." She accused him while slapping a

photo onto the table. Raymond took one glance at the photo of Morgan's tightly curled

form on his cot, his mouth ajar and his eyes lifeless.

"You won't even look at the photo. Can't admire your own handy work?" Sylvia leaned

forward and lifted up the photograph and held it out to him.

'_It's not something I'm proud of.'_

"Alright then, let's talk about something else." Sylvia gathered the photos into one stack

and set it aside, folding her hands in front of her.

"Let's talk about you and _Parker_."

Raymond looked at her at the mention of the Italian's name.

"You two were in the FBC together, have you been 'together' long?" she crossed her

arms and brought her right leg up to cross over her left.

"What has that have to do anything?" Raymond knit his brows together in confusion.

"Parker's told me that he hasn't seen you in years. These murders occur and then you

decide to show up out of the blue. I'd be suspicious if I were him."

'_Well, oddly he wasn't. He was about as happy as a cat with a ball of yarn.'_ He mused.

"I've been traveling in recent months and I bumped into him. I decided to prolong my

stay here." Raymond sunk back in his chair, grimacing uncomfortably as his arms pinned

his handcuffed hands to the chair. "To do some 'catching up', right?" she scoffed.

"In a sense, yes." Raymond nodded.

"So, you mean to tell me that after all these years, you just decided to go traveling, ran

into him and then decided to stay with him?" Sylvia cocked her head to the side, openly

expressing her disbelief as she stared at him with a look of skepticism.

"I think you're using him." The brunette said simply.

Raymond frowned at the proposed theory.

He loved Parker. Sure, he had kept things from him but he _never _used him.

This broad made it sound like Parker was some gigolo.

"Were you just using him because he had a comfortable place to hide? Or were you going

to pin this all on him?" she frowned back.

"Hell, he's probably going down for obstructing justice, impeding an investigation and

hiding a fugitive. It would be so convenient for you to have him take the blame for the

murders too." Raymond felt a pang of guilt, forgetting that Parker could be implicated in

this as well. "He hasn't done anything to deserve scrutiny." He defended his lover.

"You think so? Because it appears that the FBC is just full of liars." Sylvia inwardly

smirked at the reaction she was getting from the redhead. It was a subject that he was

passionate about. He would probably take the bait and tell them what they needed to hear.

"He's practically a saint. One of the most honest and hard-working agents we had."

"If you think he's so great then why are you letting him take the fall?"

"I told you, he's not responsible. There isn't any evidence against him." Raymond

narrowed his eyes at the brunette. "How would you know?" Sylvia failed to hide the

smile that crept up her face. If she couldn't get him to confess voluntarily, then she

needed to use an unconventional method to get him confess some other way.

Get him to slip up, if only to protect someone he cared about.

Raymond noticed the smile and instantly stopped talking, now understanding the change

of tactics. She was clever, he gave her that much credit.

"He's an idiot for getting involved with someone like you." Sylvia muttered bitterly.

"He should've left your sorry ass in Terragrigia, if this is what you have to offer the

world." She replied with contempt.

Raymond took offense to that comment, his fists clenching, uncaring of the pain that it

caused his wrists from the handcuffs.

They all were in the mouth of hell.

He saw things that he thought were only possible in nightmares, felt constant adrenaline

like it had replaced his blood, and felt death's breath on his neck and survived.

He wouldn't have wished that fate on anyone.

Parker chose to save him, a truly humble and selfless decision.

He could've left him in Terragrigia but he didn't, and he will always remember that.

"You take pride in fighting against bioterrorism, but you obviously know nothing about

what really goes on behind the scenes, what it does to people.

And you claim to be friends with Parker, and you don't know him at all."

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Parker sighed in annoyance as he shut his car door, striding over to the front door of

headquarters. After a few hours of the team searching his apartment and taking his

statement, he was finally free. All that time gave him the opportunity to clear his head

and think about how to help Raymond.

Raymond only gave Tricell the T-Abyss virus as a means of protecting someone he cared

about. And he went on a killing spree due to all the trauma and pressure he was under and

snapped. But, more importantly, he had a theory of how to help his lover have some

leeway in this ordeal. For some time, he was at one point a spy working for Tricell, so he

had crucial information on their shadier business.

If he could somehow convince Moore that Raymond wasn't entirely responsible and was

actually a key witness, at least Raymond would be in _protective_ custody.

Opening the door, he walked inside and ignored the curious stares.

He assumed that Raymond was probably in the middle of an interrogation, and headed

towards the row of open doors that lead to cross-examination rooms, entering the one that

was closed. Sure enough, he saw Moore standing at the two-way mirror, a window on

this side, watching Raymond talk to Sylvia. "Brandon." He acknowledged aloud.

Moore turned to look at him, motioning for him to come in.

Parker shut the door behind him and crossed his arms across his chest as he peered into

the next room. He noticed that Raymond looked rather bored and tired, pitying him.

"How long have they been at it?" he murmured quietly.

"Since they brought him in." the redhead mumbled back, taking a sip of coffee.

He was impressed, he didn't think that Raymond would hold out this long.

"The majority of the session consisted of his wise-ass remarks." Moore smirked.

"He's giving Sylvia a run for our money."

"People have been placing bets on this?" Parker chuckled.

"Oh yeah, no one could resist after hearing about the show you two put on earlier."

"About that…" Parker rubbed the back of his neck with a sigh.

"I'm sorry that I lost control back then, it could've been handled differently."

"I understand, you were just protecting what was yours." Moore replied simply, smiling

as he watched Sylvia tap her nails on the table impatiently.

Parker cleared his throat out of embarrassment at the mentioning of Raymond being 'his'.

"It's that obvious, huh?"

"You always were the easiest to read." Moore chuckled, tossing his cup in the trash.

"Look, Brandon, Raymond is innocent, to an extent." Parker placed his hand on his hip as

he leaned against the wall. Moore cocked an eyebrow at him.

"All the evidence points to him, he's guilty." He retorted.

"No, I mean he was…pushed into it. Years ago, he was kidnapped and forced to work as

a spy. It took a toll on him. That, on top of what had occurred in Terragrigia…it was just

too much." Parker looked his boss in the eye as he spoke sincerely.

"So, you're going for the insanity plea?" Moore snorted. "How original." He mumbled

sarcastically. "A plea deal." Parker corrected him. Moore raised an eyebrow curiously.

"He knows information about who is selling a particular virus strain, the T-Abyss."

"Oh? And who's that?" Moore slipped his hands into his pockets.

"Tricell." Parker replied bluntly.

Moore's eyes widened and glanced around the room to see if anyone was listening to

them. "Luciani, do you realize who you're talking about? The BSAA is funded by

Tricell. They supply us vital tools, weapons and aid. Accusations like that…it's just not

possible. It's a flat out lie." He breathed, rubbing his neck anxiously.

"It wouldn't hurt to at least investigate it, right?" Parker offered.

"It's not something we can just ask around about Parker, we could lose our funding. How

the hell are we supposed to counter BOWs then?" the redhead murmured.

"Raymond knows the name of the one who sold those kids the virus. If we find them,

then we can learn more about what's going on. This is important, Brandon!" Parker

hissed in a hushed tone. "You're really going to take the word of a murderer over that of

our financier's? What kind of world do you live in?"

"What kind of world do _you_ live in when you value money more than crucial information

on the people who are supposed to help us help others?" the brunette countered.

Moore sighed in exasperation, rubbing his neck as he paced back and forth.

"Okay, get him to talk then." Moore waved his hand at the window to point at the

redhead. "It's not that simple. We have to find out where this seller is. And we can't do

that sitting here." "What do you suggest then?"

"He and I will go out and-"

"No. No, no, that's too risky." Moore interjected, waving his hand dismissively.

"Brandon, you've got to let him go out and find this guy. I'll be right with." He tried to

reassure his boss. "Oh, and what if he decides to kill again? Hm?" the redhead asked

frantically, reminding Parker of Raymond's crimes. "He won't. I'm sure he won't."

"How do you _know_? What are you going to do? Put a muzzle on him?"

Parker snorted at his boss' absurdity.

He understood what Moore was feeling, he felt the same way when he first head of it

from Raymond himself. Raymond had done some questionable things in the past.

But it seemed highly unlikely that he would go to the lengths to tarnish the financier of

the BSAA, the sole ray of hope against fighting bioterrorists.

"Trust me on this. We've worked in the FBC before and this time's no different."

Moore calmed down enough to stop pacing, looking at Parker skeptically.

"Let us work together to find the bastard responsible, and you'll have your proof. Then,

will you consider going a little easy on Raymond?" Parker sighed as Moore turned his

head away to consider his options, still uncertain.

"If I'm wrong, if we fuck up, you can fire me." Parker spoke firmly.

Moore looked at Parker incredulously. "You're serious?" he shook his head in disbelief.

"Alright, I'll humor you. You can go see him now." Moore sighed in defeat, motioning

for Parker to go ahead and go into the next room.

He didn't need to be told twice, throwing open the door and bounding over to his lover.

"Parker!" Raymond sat up straighter in his seat at the sight of the Italian.

"Ray." Parker enveloped the redhead in his arms and hugged him tightly.

"Are you alright?" he pulled away to touch his lover's face, examining him for bruises.

"I'm fine." The red haired man smiled, relieved to see his better half once again.

He honestly thought that it was over between them.

He couldn't be happier over how wrong he was.

"Alright, enough of the happy reunion." Sylvia grumbled bitterly, standing up from her

seat. Parker looked at her with a hardened expression.

"Don't look at me like that, it's him you should be sore at." Sylvia huffed.

"How did you know about him?" he asked her pointedly.

"You left the tapes in the AV turned on, with the images displayed, genius…" she

snorted. "In case you were wondering, I was worried when you didn't show up for work.

Putting two and two together, I had thought he killed you after you found the tapes."

Parker frowned, looking down to see the bruises on Raymond's wrists.

Reaching down he grabbed onto the handcuffs before taking out his keyring from his

back pocket, looking for the key to undo Raymond's bindings.

"Hey, hey, don't do that! He's still-" Sylvia grabbed onto Parker's arm to stop him from

freeing the prisoner. "It's alright, Sylvia, he's free to go." Moore walked in with a young

man dressed in black slacks and a blue dress shirt, a box in his hand.

"Wha- What?" Sylvia gawked at her boss in shock.

"Go ahead, Gil." Moore patted his assistant on the back. The younger brunette bent down

with the box in his hands and lifted up the lid to reveal black device on a band.

"Raymond Vester, you're allowed to leave, under the condition that you wear this ankle

monitor and remain under Parker's supervision at all times." The redhead stated as he

delved his hands into his pockets, watching as the brunette configured and attached the

remote device onto Raymond's leg, soon covered up by his jeans.

Raymond looked up at Parker questioningly, wondering what in the world he told them.

Parker winked his left eye discreetly, placing his hand on his lover's shoulder.

"Okay, it's all set to go." Gil replied as he picked up the box and stood back up.

"It's waterproof, so you can bathe and swim with it on. We've got a computer that will

track your movements via a satellite signal. I don't recommend picking at it with any

metallic objects, you might get a nasty shock." The brunette gave a mock salute before

leaving the room. "Right, so, just stay with Parker and you'll be fine." Moore nodded

before leaning in to whisper into Parker's ear. "Don't make me regret this." He patted his

friend on the arm before walking out of the room.

"Wait, Brandon, what's going on?" Sylvia turned and watched as her boss left them

alone, wondering how the suspected murderer was allowed to go free.

"Sylvia, it's out of our hands now, let them be." He called back.

Parker quickly released Raymond's hands from the cuffs, wincing as Raymond emitted a

pained grunt, bringing his arms forward and rubbing his wrists.

"Better?" Parker chuckled as he laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Much…" he sighed, wiggling his fingers to get rid of the numbness.

"Come on, let's get out of here." The brunette offered his hand and helped him stand.

"I've brought you some shoes, but I left them in the car." Smiling sheepishly as Raymond

laughed at him. "Hey, I really missed you." He gave a playful pat on his back.

"Well, thankfully there's nothing that I have worry about stepping on." Raymond

snorted, hobbling on his feet while trying to get used to walking again sitting in this room

for so long. "Parker-" Sylvia started, stopping when held back by Thomas.

"Let them be for now, it's been a long day." He murmured to his partner.

Parker led the way to the door, holding it open for the redhead.

Raymond gasped as the blast of cold air hit his face, biting his lip to prevent making a

fool of himself by letting his teeth chatter. Parker unlocked and opened the passenger side

door and grabbed Raymond's pair of black dress shoes and set them on the ground.

Upon seeing the shoes, Raymond quickened his pace to reach the car in the last two

strides, leaning against the car to slip on and tie his shoes.

Parker then grabbed Raymond's trench coat and wrapped it around his lover, holding him

in a blanketed hug. The redhead chuckled and leaned his head against Parker's shoulder,

breathing in his scent deeply that mixed with the chilled air.

"You missed me that much, huh?" he smiled fondly before kissing him on the cheek.

"Of course." Parker smiled and pulled away to give a quick peck on his forehead.

"You didn't have to do that, I deserve to be in prison for what I've done." Raymond

touched Parker's face, smiling when the Italian nuzzled his cheek into his palm.

"I couldn't leave you in there." Parker smiled sadly, cupping his hand over Raymond's.

Raymond smiled back and leaned in so their foreheads touched.

He didn't know how much time they had left together, but he didn't want to waste it.

Stepping back from the burlier man, Raymond slipped his coat on and relished its

warmth. "You must be hungry, you've been detained for quite some time." Parker sighed

as he held the door open for Raymond as he buckled himself in before shutting it closed.

Jogging around to the other side, he opened his door and hopped in with a relieved sigh.

"A little…" he nodded, leaning back against the plush seat gratefully.

"I still don't understand how you managed to get me out of there." He spoke aloud.

"I made a deal with my boss. I told him that you knew information about Tricell's virus

dealings. If we can find out who the seller is and bring him in, he might go easier on

you." Parker answered as he inserted the key into the ignition.

"Really? That's one hell of a miracle…" Raymond chuckled.

"A lucky break, and it's our only shot. I hope it works out…" Parker frowned

thoughtfully as he turned the key and placed his hand on the emergency break.

"I know his name, but I don't have a clue where to start looking." Raymond mumbled.

"What is it?" Parker glanced at him before putting the car into reverse.

"Thomas Phillips."

Parker's hands remained frozen on the wheel, repeating the name over and over in his

head. He had hoped that he misheard it, but he doubted it.

Thomas Phillips was his co-worker and one of his closest friends.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

I've been itching to write another chapter for awhile now, can't believe it's been nearly a

month since I wrote the last one. I did say before that I would get busy in February,

mostly because I'm monitoring a club event. There's not many chapters left in this series,

so I hope to get it finished by April, the month right before Revelations is released on

consoles. And yes, I do plan on buying the game again.

Just to be clear, I write all of my Revelations stories based on the 3DS version and I'll

probably always prefer the 3DS version of the game. I think there will be some

differences in the console port, but I don't want to change my stories to follow that

version. I'm curious to see if there will be more stories after its re-release.

This chapter, and a few previous ones, have been tough and unfair on Parker and

Raymond. Sometimes it has to get worse before it can get better, right?

Lin


	12. True Colors

"Parker, are you alright?" Raymond asked, leaning over with concern when the brunette

didn't answer. "Yeah, I'm fine." Parker blinked from his daze, looking back at the

redhead. "You said his name was Thomas Phillips?" he asked as he eyed his lover

skeptically. Parker sighed and lowered his gaze when Raymond nodded his head,

gripping the wheel even tighter. _Thomas?_

_Thomas_ was responsible for all of this?

Thomas, the man who loved to crack jokes and fought _against_ bioterrorism, was the one

behind all this? He gave those college students a virus?

It couldn't be true; it didn't make any sense.

"Ray, are you _sure_?" Parker asked again, still holding out hope that he misheard.

"_Yes._" Raymond insisted, quirking an eyebrow at Parker's sudden skepticism.

"I found a list of some of the more recent sales a few weeks ago. Thomas Phillips' name

was listed as the one who was making that sale in Rourke."

Parker sighed and rested his elbow against his armrest, running his fingers through his

hair. Thomas wouldn't give some kids a virus, would he?

He must've known what these viruses were capable of, why else would he sign up for the

BSAA? He wanted to stop the production and sales of these viruses, didn't he?

"What's wrong?" Raymond laid his hand on the Italian's thigh to grab his

attention, leaning forward to look him in the eye.

Parker held Raymond's hand in his as he rubbed his chin anxiously, looking back at him.

"I work with someone with that same name, but…" Parker trailed off as he looked

beyond the windshield and at headquarters.

Could someone who works at the BSAA really do something like this?

Raymond's lips parted in surprise, at a loss of what to say.

Part of him was truly surprised that someone in the BSAA was selling a virus; but

another part of him-not so much.

After all, Jessica was a mole in the organization at one time.

It was one thing for a spy to work in the BSAA to gather information, but it was a

completely different matter when they were actually selling a virus themselves.

The only conclusion he could draw up was that this Thomas was working in the

anti-bioterrorist group to cover his tracks. It was clever, to say the least.

But if that was the case, he now wondered who else could be following the same plan.

Even worse, how many sales have gone unnoticed.?

If all of this was true, it was vital that they apprehend this man.

The information they could get out of him was invaluable.

"Then we need to investigate him." He replied, feeling a twinge of pain in his chest at the

look on Parker's face. "Ray-" the Italian protested.

"Parker, he's the only lead we have." Raymond reminded him, knowing that Parker was

having an internal conflict over this. "Ray, he's a good friend of mine, he wouldn't-"

"He's just like Jessica." Raymond replied coolly.

Parker lowered his gaze to his hands that sat in his lap; his lover's words sinking in.

It was possible…

Jessica, at first, seemed like a genuine and friendly woman who fought for the greater

cause. She fought against bioterrorism too, until that fateful night.

The sudden change in values seemed so easy for her, was it the same for Thomas?

"Don't you trust me?" Raymond suddenly asked, breaking him from his thoughts.

He looked up at the redhead, staring into his green eyes and saw the sincerity in them.

After all this time, Raymond still stood strong and willing to fight the good fight.

After everything they've been through, despite the odds, Raymond was still here.

They had rescued each other, renewed their purpose in life.

When he was at his lowest, it was his lover who found him and built him back up.

Raymond had been more honest with him now than ever before in the past, and it felt

wrong to suddenly choose to not believe him when it was so crucial.

Lives were at stake.

He couldn't afford to look away and ignore the facts, even if it meant seeing an ugly side

to someone he cared about. If it meant saving even one life, it would be worth it.

"Of course I do." His lips curved up into a half-smile.

Raymond smiled back, relief coursing through him.

He was relieved and touched that Parker still had the courage to place faith in him.

"We'll go to his apartment and try to look for something that will tell us if he's

involved." Parker sat up in his seat and started the car, pulling out of the parking lot.

"I think he's working late tonight, but I'm not sure. We'll need to move fast."

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

The two of them remained silent as they drove along the road in search of Thomas'

apartment. Raymond held his chin in his hand as his eyes scanned the scenery outside his

window. The car ride had been peaceful but it had failed to calm his nerves.

It wasn't that he was nervous of running into the BSAA agent so much as he worried

about finding nothing that would aid their investigation.

He came all this way and overcame so much; it would be such a waste if they failed to

find a single shred of evidence against Thomas or Tricell.

But he was also concerned about Parker's well being, given that he was investigating his

own friend. He of all people knew that Parker had struggled to trust anyone after what

happened in the past. Part of him almost wished that he was wrong just so that Parker's

trust and friendship with Thomas remained intact.

However, he had learned the harsh lesson that anyone could be involved in this

line of work. Even the kindest people who appeared incapable of causing harm, were

some of the most skilled, cunning and dangerous of all.

Those students at the beach made a mistake by buying those samples; but

the seller was also at fault for supplying it to them. They had families who are probably

worried about where they are; and they would most definitely want justice for what

happened to them. If Thomas wasn't stopped, more people would suffer and die.

Raymond looked over to Parker, noticing his narrowed eyebrows.

Reaching out to lightly touch his forearm, he felt relief as his lover glanced at him and

gave a small smile in assurance.

Parker felt anxious as he drove along the smooth road, feeling uneasy whenever another

car rushed past them; the pressure as the car whizzed past them shaking the Land Rover.

He was still in shock and wasn't sure what to believe.

He didn't want to believe that Thomas had the T-Abyss virus in his possession.

He had known Thomas for the entire two years that he had worked in the London branch,

and not once did he give him a reason to distrust him.

He was kind, caring, funny…and he worked in the BSAA with him and Sylvia, so he

must've had the drive for helping people.

It just didn't seem to suit him; it didn't make sense.

But he believed that Raymond was being honest; and he planned on seeing this

investigation through until he found some answers.

If Thomas was responsible for what happened in Rourke, and he had the intention to

continue to sell the virus and risk ruining more lives, he had to be stopped.

Glancing at Raymond, he breathed a sigh as he watched the redhead stare out the

window with disinterest. He was glad that his lover was here with him.

He wasn't entirely sure he would've been able to do this alone.

Catching the view of the apartment complex out of the corner of his eye, his heart sunk as

they drew closer to the building. This was it, they were going to barge into Thomas'

apartment and try to find anything that revealed his involvement in this mess.

It pained him to do this, but it had to be done.

"Alright, here it is." Parker murmured as he slowed the car down, parking next to the

sidewalk. Raymond sat up straight at the announcement, immediately opening his door

when the car stopped. "Ray." Parker grabbed the redhead's arm, unsure if it was

Raymond's or his own pulse that he was feeling in the palm of his hand.

Raymond paused and looked back at the brunette curiously. "What is it?"

Parker glanced down briefly before looking his lover in the eye, fumbling with his words.

"Just…be careful." He finally answered sheepishly. Raymond smiled at Parker's concern

and touched the Italian's hand. "Don't worry, it'll be fine."

"Okay. Let's get this over with." He nodded and released his grip before stepping out of

the car, jogging over to the other side to join Raymond.

Parker glanced around the parking lot, feeling a touch of relief when he didn't see

Thomas' car. Reaching out his hand, he grabbed the doorknob and held the door open for

Raymond before glancing behind his back and walking inside.

"Don't look so nervous, we're fine." Raymond murmured in reassurance, keeping his

hands shoved in his pockets and walking in an even stride.

Eyeing Parker out of the corner of his eye, he saw that the Italian was still glancing

around the complex frantically. Raymond rolled his eyes and linked his arm with the

brunette, both comforting him and providing the guise of a couple to prevent people from

questioning their presence. Technically, they were trespassing and didn't have a warrant

to search Thomas' apartment; so they needed to be calm and look like they knew where

they were going. "Just lead the way." He murmured.

Parker looked at Raymond and breathed a sigh, calming down.

"It's on the second floor, number thirteen." He replied, putting on a smile as a pair of

girls passed them. "Shouldn't we get the key?"

"You let me worry about that." Raymond answered, lightly pulling on his lover's arm as

they came closer to the staircase. As soon as Parker's foot touched the first step,

Raymond took his hand and pulled on him, forcing him to quicken his pace.

They then walked through the hall, eyes scanning the brass numbers on each door.

"Do you expect me to break it down, then?" Parker chuckled once they reached the door.

Raymond wished that they could've gone back to their apartment so that he could retrieve

his lock picks, but then they might've missed out on this opportunity.

Thankfully, he still had a trick up his sleeve.

"Can I borrow your credit card for a moment?" he rolled his eyes when Parker snorted at

the request, pulling his wallet out from his back pocket.

"Just what are you going to do with it?" the brunette quirked an eyebrow as he held out

his card, crossing his arms once Raymond took it.

Raymond grasped the doorknob with his left hand while sliding the card into the slot in

the door, between the door and the door frame. "The hell…?" Parker raised his

eyebrows at the bizarre sight. "Just pray that it isn't bolted…" Raymond mumbled as he

tried to find the latch; pulling the card back before slowly pushing it into the mechanism.

Then, he pushed the door open with ease; the latch snapping back out once the card was

no longer holding it down. Raymond smirked victoriously as he handed the card back,

walking into the room. Parker looked down at his card before looking at the door in

disbelief. He had no idea that Raymond knew how to open doors like that.

It made him wonder just what else he didn't know about the redhead.

Placing the card back in his wallet, he quickly stepped inside and shut the door.

"I'll take a look in here." Raymond said as he walked into what looked to be Thomas'

study. "Alright, I'll look around here." He replied, walking into the living room.

He didn't know how much time they had to search, so he tried to comb through a bit of

everything. Walking over to the bookshelves against the wall, he noticed that a lot of the

books looked rather new and untouched. None of them looked suspicious, so he moved

on to the bedroom. He immediately went to the closet and pulled the doors open, not

surprised to see the row of clothes that were hung up.

What did pique his interest was the ammunition cache on the closet floor.

Bending down, Parker undid the latch on the green box and found boxes of handgun

bullets inside. _'Why would he keep so many boxes of ammo in here?'_

It made sense that most BSAA operatives kept some weapons at home for security

purposes. But keeping enough ammunition to take down a small army was unheard of.

It was bizarre, but not criminal.

Pushing the cache back into the closet, he stood up and began to sweep his hand along the

shelf in search of anything useful. Just when he was about to give up, his hand bumped

into a small box. Parker reached up both hands and managed to blindly grab a wooden

box and bring it down without dropping it. The polished brown box was small, making

him wonder what could be small enough to fit inside.

After undoing the latch and lifting the lid, Parker slipped his fingers inside and began

rifling through the box's contents. Inside was a small brass key and a photograph.

Pocketing the key, his eyes carefully scanned the picture he held in his hand.

The picture was of Thomas sitting on a bench, a beautiful young woman standing behind

him with her arms wrapped around his neck; both smiling brightly.

The features he noticed the most about the woman in the photo was her long, flowing

blonde hair, creamy skin and gray eyes.

The photo itself was crinkled and worn in the corners, showing obvious signs that it had

been handled a lot over the years. Thomas didn't look too young in the photo, so maybe

it wasn't taken that long ago. Were they a couple?

There weren't any women's clothes in the closet, though…

The fact that this worn photo was hidden away in the closet didn't sit well with him.

For now, he chose to keep it in his back pocket.

Deciding to take a break from the bedroom, he left to go check on Raymond's progress in

the study. The study consisted of a wooden desk and chair, a large bookshelf that was

mostly made up of random junk than books or files, and a sofa.

"Find anything?" Parker asked while walking into the room, placing a hand on his hip

idly. Raymond looked up from a folder he was looking through, placing it back on the

shelf. "These files all look normal. I wasn't able to unlock the desk." He sighed.

"I found this in the bedroom, do you think you can use it?" he pulled out the key from his

pocket and held it out to the redhead. "It's worth a try." Raymond replied as he took it

from the Italian's hand, walking over to the desk to try inserting it into the lock.

Raymond's eyebrows rose in surprise when the lock clicked, sliding the top drawer open.

"We're in luck." He smiled coyly, beginning to take out a few folders and placing them

on top of the desk. Parker walked over and picked up a random file, looking through the

papers. The pages appeared to be contact information, judging from the names and phone

numbers. Brad and Richard's phone numbers were listed on the last page.

"I guess these are Thomas' contacts…" he murmured, placing it down before grabbing

another folder. Scanning through the next one briefly, he realized that it was the results

from the sale of the T-Abyss virus; the one in Rourke being the most recent.

A few pages later revealed banking information that consisted of various transactions, at

least one of them appeared to be from Richard.

The rest of the folders they found contained information on the T-Abyss virus and the

resulting mutations. Since the backgrounds in the photographs didn't look like they were

taken on The Queen Zenobia, he realized that these were more recent test subjects.

_Ooze_, what a fitting name for such grotesque monstrosities.

From what he gathered, the scientific formulas aside, someone was still performing

experiments with the virus and they were trying to make it more potent.

He wasn't sure what possessed them to even try to make the strain more powerful, much

less easier to control. These creatures could _never_ be tamed. It just wasn't possible.

Raymond opened the bottom drawer, surprised to find a small briefcase.

Placing it on the desk, he unlocked the case and opened it, his eyes widening.

"Parker…" he gasped.

Parker put the folder down and hurried to the other side of the desk to see what was

inside the case, his lips parting in shock at the sight.

The bottom of the case was lined with vials of T-Abyss, each tube snuggly attached to the

lining by a long strap across their middles.

"These were the same ones that we found at the beach." He murmured.

"But there was a whole box of them; so why are there only a few here?"

"Maybe he was planning on restocking." Raymond suggested, reaching his hand out to

undo the straps on the top half of the case to check the pockets.

The top of the case was filled with neat piles of cash.

Parker took notice of the bills, sighing in defeat. _'Thomas…how could you?'_

They both froze at the sound of a sharp click.

"Stay where you are." Thomas ordered lowly.

Raymond frowned when he remembered that he and Parker were unarmed, rolling his

eyes when Parker gave him that knowing look, urging him to raise his hands.

"You two know too much…" Thomas' voice quivered, pursing his lips tightly.

Parker wasn't sure if Thomas was afraid or angry, perhaps both.

"Thomas, put that down." He asked calmly, his hand moving in a downward motion.

"No one else needs to get hurt; let's just sit down and talk about this. I'm sure that with

the information you know, the BSAA will-"

"They _can't_ know, I'd have the whole organization on my ass." Thomas snapped.

"They can help you." Parker continued to try to reason with his friend.

"I can't afford to get arrested, not now."

"Prison isn't the worst punishment." Raymond countered, looking away in annoyance

when Thomas suddenly aimed at him threateningly. "Neither is dying."

"Stop it you two." Parker chastised them.

"Thomas, put the gun _down_." He insisted, his heart skipping a beat when the blonde

looked at him sadly as he returned his aim to him. _'You wouldn't…'_

He was suddenly overcome with a strong feeling of déjà vu.

History did have a tendency to repeat itself on occasion…

But why now? Why Thomas?

"Forgive me, Parker…" Thomas winced as he pulled the trigger.

Parker was taken by surprise when Raymond suddenly got in front of him and held him

in a tight hug, shielding him from the bullet. The breath was knocked out of Raymond as

the bullet pierced his chest, holding onto Parker's shoulders for support.

"Ray!" Parker gasped, wrapping his arms around the redhead's lithe form.

Raymond simply smiled, relieved that Parker didn't take the hit.

"Now, we're even…" he whispered in the Italian's ear, his strength rapidly diminishing.

Parker's eyes misted over, lowering Raymond to the floor and unbuttoning his shirt to

check the bullet wound. "Ray, stay awake." He placed his hand on the redhead's cheek.

The bullet appeared to have missed his heart, just barely.

Parker quickly pulled the belt from Raymond's trench coat and tied it around his chest to

help stop the bleeding. He was only vaguely aware that Thomas had grabbed some things

on the desk and shoved them into the brief case before slamming it closed and fled.

"Parker…" Raymond murmured, placing his hand on his lover's chest and weakly

pushing him away. "Don't…let him get away…"

"I'm not leaving you here." He replied, wincing at the pained grunt that escaped

Raymond's lips as he tightened the knot over his chest. "Stay with me, you hear me?"

Raymond's eyes slid closed, taking comfort in the warmth that came with the void.

"Ray?" Parker patted Raymond's cheek, failing to wake him.

"I'll get you to a hospital, hang in there." He grunted as he gathered the redhead in his

arms and lifted him off the floor and ran out of the apartment.

Once he was back outside, he started to make his way towards his car.

He slowed his stride when he heard sirens, breathing a sigh of relief when an ambulance

and a few police cars arrived. _'One of the neighbors here must've heard the gunshot.'_

Parker jogged towards the ambulance, stopping when the back doors opened.

"He's been shot, we need to go now!" He called out as he climbed into the ambulance

and laid Raymond down on the gurney. The paramedics began to work on him, cutting

the makeshift bandage and his shirt before applying gauze to the wound.

An IV was inserted into Raymond's arm before an oxygen mask was placed over his

face. Parker ignored the confused shouts from the officers and pulled the doors closed

before sitting down next to the redhead, holding onto his hand.

The sirens blared as the ambulance began its journey to the hospital, lightly shaking the

occupants and materials inside as the truck turned corners and changed lanes.

Parker held onto Raymond's hand despite the activity around him, squeezing tighter.

'Please, don't take him away from me…'

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Raymond opened his eyes and was confused as to why everything was so white.

The white was so bright, it was almost blinding.

And it was so quiet, he could hear his pulse resonating in his ears.

Where was he, why was he alone?

"Parker?" he tried to call out, mystified by the echo of his voice.

"I'm afraid he's not here, my boy." Raymond froze at the familiar voice that spoke

behind him. He turned around to see Morgan, sitting in an off-white chair and smoking

a cigarette. "Commissioner…" he trailed off, eyes looking him over in disbelief.

Morgan wore a black suit with a shocking white tie, relaxed as can be.

"In spirit." The graying man replied with a soft smile.

Spirit…?

"Spirit? Am I…" he was afraid to finish the sentence.

"No, you're not dead." Morgan chuckled, flicking the ash off his cigarette before sucking

in a breath and blowing out gray smoke. "We're in purgatory. The spirit remains here

until it can return to its body safely or until it has resolved any unfinished business back

in the world of the living before moving on into the afterlife." He reassured the redhead.

Purgatory? No, he had to be hallucinating…

"You'll remain here until it's safe to return. I hope you have some of the best doctors on

hand; it would be a shame to cut off such a young life." Morgan adjusted his tie

absentmindedly. "But then, why are you here?" he asked.

Did Morgan have unfinished business?

"Are you here because I…killed you?"

"Hm? Oh, no. I lived my life to the fullest, boy, it was my time a long time ago."

Morgan's lips curved up into a small smile. "I'm simply here to keep you company until

the threads of fate have been untangled for you. Miss Sherawat should be joining us

shortly, as a matter of fact. She has been wanting to say something to you for quite some

time. She is the most impatient woman I have ever met." He shook his head and

chortled. Raymond felt a twinge of guilt as he continued to look at his former boss.

In recent weeks, he had begun to regret the acts he had committed.

He wished that things could've been handled differently…

"Sir, I'm…I'm so, so sorry." Morgan perked up at the sentiment, watching the redhead

intently as he spoke. "I should never have resorted to murder. It wasn't my place to pass

judgement. It has been on my mind ever since that day, and I take no pride in it."

Raymond fought to keep his gaze on the other man, wanting so desperately to look away

from those icy blue eyes. "I have no grudge against you, Raymond."

Raymond gaped at the unexpected answer, not expecting this man to remain so calm.

"Just like Jessica, I have something that I wish to tell you." Morgan crushed the cigarette

in his bare hand without batting an eye, uncrossing his legs before leaning forward and

resting his elbows on his knees. Raymond swallowed hard and blinked, balling up his

fists anxiously. "Thank you." The words fell from his lips eloquently.

"What…?" Raymond stammered.

Morgan was _thanking_ him? Actually _thanking_ him for _murdering_ him?

"While I already was imprisoned, rightfully punished for the crimes I had committed, my

conscience was my true prison. You ended my pain. I was reckless and did unspeakable things that got so many innocent people killed. I'm not sure if I would have

been able to reign it in if someone had not stopped me. I felt terrible, the guilt was unbearable. I did not know what my purpose was anymore and did not

understand why I was still breathing. So, thank you for ending my misery, Raymond." Morgan sighed after saying his piece, leaning back and lighting another

cigarette. Raymond continued to stare at him, looking away briefly to gather his thoughts. "I have a question for you, something that has always been on my mind."

He finally asked, trying to prevent his voice from cracking with emotion.

"Ask away, we've got plenty of time." Morgan waved his hand approvingly, beckoning

for him to continue. "Why did you help Veltro destroy Terragrigia?"

Morgan blew out another puff of smoke as he organized his thoughts, nodding.

"Cadet, you must understand that my actions were not without cause. If it weren't for my

collaboration with Veltro and the resulting incident that is known as The Terragrigia

Panic, the world would have never known about bioterrrorists and BOWS. They never

would have known about their potential and the dangers they imposed on our way of life.

While I do regret the many lives that were lost, I do believe that it was necessary in the

name of truth. I will understand if no one forgives me, I certainly don't expect you or

agent Luciani to. However, the world now knows of the possibilities, and they are more

prepared to fight back. The inconvenient truth is my gift to humanity; maybe someday

they will learn to appreciate it." Morgan answered sadly.

"My mind is more at ease now that I have told you the truth." Morgan sighed tiredly as

he got up from his chair. Walking closer to Raymond until they stood barely two feet

apart, he placed his hand on his shoulder. "Farewell, Raymond." He smiled and squeezed

Raymond's shoulder reassuringly. "And now, I must be on my way."

Morgan straightened his jacket before turning and walking away, his black suit turning as

white as snow, blending in with the surroundings and simply vanished.

"I hope that your conscience is easier to clean than mine was." He murmured before his

voice, the last remnant of his being, faded away.

Raymond glanced around, unable to see his former boss.

He crossed his arms over his chest and sighed as he closed his eyes, unsure of what to do.

It seemed impossible to move anywhere in this vast space.

So, he waited.

'When can I wake up? When can I go home and see Parker again?'

Raymond tensed up when a pair of hands suddenly crept over his face and covered his

eyes. "Guess who?" a feminine voice whispered gleefully.

He grabbed the pair of wrists and pulled them away from his eyes before turning around

to face his next 'visitor'. "Rachael…?" his eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the

young woman, dressed in a white gown, her trademark blonde hair no longer covering

her eyes-revealing sparkling blue spheres. "You have eyes, after all." He chuckled,

laughing when the blonde playfully swatted his arm. "I've always had eyes." She

smoothed her bangs back.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

"Jessica was supposed to meet with you but, as always, she couldn't decide on what to

wear-even though she has nothing else to try on while here." Rachael rolled her eyes.

"Besides, I wanted to see you too." She smiled sweetly.

Looking at her now, in her kindest and purest of forms, it reminded him of the past.

Those long, lonely corridors that were engulfed in flames; her staggering, oozing figure

stalking him and desperately trying to latch onto him to obtain sustenance.

He had left her alone, he failed to protect her.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Rachael lifted his chin and forced him to look at her.

"I failed you. I'm sorry, Rachael…" his eyes misted over, trying to look away.

"Come here…" Rachael sighed as she hugged him. "It's not your fault, Raymond."

He refused to believe that; he was her partner and it was his job to watch out for her.

"We were separated back then, you couldn't have known." She reassured him.

"I should've stayed with you. We could've escaped together." He sucked in a breath as

he stubbornly tried to keep himself from crying. "I know that you were preoccupied. You

had another mission and it was to reveal the truth, and I'm happy for you for achieving

that." She rubbed his arm. "I forgive you. And I'm grateful that you put me out of my

misery; I hated being left alone in the dark, unsure if I was alive or not. Now, I'm at

peace." Raymond smiled sadly, relieved that she wasn't miserable anymore.

"But…I'm still not sure why you're here." She touched her fingers to her lips

thoughtfully as she looked him over. "I was shot; I know that much." Raymond shrugged.

"Ahh, I see now." She smiled as she grabbed his left hand and brought it up for the both

of them to see. "You're here because someone still needs you."

Raymond quirked an eyebrow and looked at his hand, seeing a faint wisp surrounding his

ring finger. "Did you find someone special?" she grinned at the blush on his face.

"Your love is strong. I know you'll return to them soon enough." She patted his hand

comfortingly before releasing it. "You look good in white." She winked.

Raymond looked down and saw that he was wearing a white suit and a black tie.

He touched the black tie and wondered why there was such a stark contrast in colors.

Rachael, sensing his confusion, reached her hands out to fix his tie for him.

"People who come here wearing white are ready to cross over; while others who wear

black have done things they wish they could take back, it takes time for them to heal

before they can move on. But Raymond, I know that you are a good person inside. You

shouldn't let the small things overshadow who you really are." Satisfied with the

adjustment, she pats his chest before stepping back. "Well, it's time for me to go. I have a

date, I think his name is Luis. Good thing I took all those Spanish classes." She smiled

and wiggled her fingers in farewell before walking off.

Raymond smiled fondly, feeling a weight being lifted off his shoulders.

"I hope you haven't forgotten about me." He spun around as the sultry voice reached his

ears, not surprised to see Jessica standing there; wearing a black cocktail dress with a

white scarf. "I couldn't, even if I tried." He scoffed.

"Good, I'd be disappointed if you did." She chuckled.

Looking at her brought back his memories of malice towards her; remembering the

anguish that was brought on by lies and betrayal.

He still didn't approve of what she had done, but he was in the wrong as well.

If this was his only chance to make things right, if this was the only way to achieve

internal peace, he couldn't let this opportunity pass him by.

"Jessica, I'm sorry. If I could take back everything that happened that day, I would.

No matter what happened in the past, none of it justified murder." He stated, his eyes

watching her carefully as he waited for her response.

"I'm not proud of some of the things I did either." She sighed, curling her hair around her

finger idly. "I can't blame you, though." She touched his shoulder, catching him by

surprise. "I was following orders that destroyed lives; my life wasn't my own anymore. I

stopped caring, and that scared me. I didn't know what to do…" she trailed off, biting her

lip. "I became a monster, Raymond."

"And I'm not? I killed so many people that were involved in Tricell's mess; that was

reckless and selfish of me." He countered.

"You did what you had to." Jessica held his gaze.

"They forgot what it meant to be human; they stopped caring."

Raymond was taken aback by her words, stunned as she took his hand into hers.

"You don't give yourself nearly enough credit." She smiled sadly.

Raymond looked down as Jessica's hand grabbed onto his tie, noticing that the black tie

had turned white; looking up to see that her dress had changed white as well.

"I guess we share mutual forgiveness now, huh?" she chuckled as her eyes misted over.

Raymond's body relaxed as he grew comfortable with her presence.

He was so used to her flirty, outgoing personality; and it grated on his nerves in the past.

And he had despised her for what she had done.

But for the first time, he got to see how genuine and sincere she could be.

Even more surprising, she showed remorse; she regretted everything.

Perhaps, she wasn't all that bad, after all.

"Take good care of that stupid oaf, okay cadet?" Jessica smiled as she wiped at her eyes.

"He needs you, just as much as you need him."

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

He first became aware of the sound of beeping; an even tempo.

The air smelled sterile and stagnant, grimacing as he felt a dull throb in his chest.

But at least he was warm and comfortable.

He squinted as the natural sunlight invaded his vision, gritting his teeth and hissing.

He briefly caught the sight of a red IV bag with the label reading _Parker Luciani_ and _O-_

written in bold lettering. Raymond closed his eyes and turned his head to the side before

opening them again; his gaze falling on the sleeping form of a certain brunette, smiling

groggily. With the strength he could muster, he managed to lift his hand off the bed

enough to gently run his fingertips through Parker's soft hair.

'Did you wait here all night…?'

Parker shivered as the fingertips massaged his scalp, lifting his head up and smiled

sleepily at the redhead; taking hold of his hand. "Hey, good morning…" he whispered.

"'Morning…" Raymond murmured back, brushing his thumb along the back of the

Italian's hand. Parker grunts as he gets up from his chair for the first time in hours,

carefully leaning over his lover and kisses him fully on the lips, his hand caressing the

back of his head soothingly. He then pecked the redhead on the cheek, touching his lips

to his lover's forehead; relishing the feel of Raymond's arm as he draped

it along his back in a weak embrace. "I told you everything would be fine…" Raymond

murmured, caressing Parker's back when he felt his lover's lips quiver against his

forehead. "You scared me." Parker breathed, swallowing the lump in his throat.

It had broken his heart to sit idly by as Raymond was in surgery; not entirely certain that

he would survive. _'A gunshot wound, of all things…'_ he mused.

Now, here they were once again, one lying in bed with the other sitting by their side.

He was unable to contain the overwhelming relief he felt now that Raymond had woken

up; showering him with more kisses.

'_I'm never letting you out of my sight again.'_ He vowed.

Reluctantly sitting back down, Parker continued to hold Raymond's hand.

"You were right about Thomas. You've always been right, Ray, I always forget that…"

he sighed as he played with his lover's nimble fingers.

"I'm starting to hate being right all the time." Raymond scoffed, causing Parker to

raise an eyebrow coyly. "Well, one of us has to be in the know; and it sure as hell isn't

me." He shrugged with a chuckle.

Raymond lowered his gaze briefly, remembering the one thing that he had neglected to

tell Parker; now seemed like as good a time as any.

He was thankful that the drugs had dulled his insecurities and doubt.

"Parker, I never told you the reason why I left Malta." He began, his unwavering gaze

meeting his lover's. Parker, surprised by the sudden change in discussion, awkwardly

rubs the back of his neck as he wonders why Raymond would suddenly bring that up.

"You left so you could hand over the virus; you were just following orders." He offered

the obvious answer, the only explanation that had been given to him just the other day.

"No," Raymond shook his head. "I left to protect you."

Parker raised an eyebrow, wondering if his lover's thinking was muddled.

"When they found me after Terragrigia, they knew how important you were to me; they

used that against me so I would work for them. They would've killed you if I refused, I

couldn't risk-" Raymond winced as he felt a twinge of pain in his chest.

Parker placed his hand on the redhead's stomach, caressing his side soothingly.

"We shouldn't talk about this right now, you're still recovering. You need to rest." He

murmured softly. Raymond grabbed Parker's arm, determined to reveal the truth.

"I didn't want to lose you…" he trailed off, averting his eyes as the guilt settled in once

again. "All of this is my fault, I'm sorry." He closed his eyes painfully.

Parker looked back at his lover in disbelief, surprised that Raymond had gone through so

much just to protect him. All along, Raymond had risked everything for him.

He knew that there was a reason behind why he joined Tricell, why he gave them the

T-Abyss virus, but he never imagined that it was all because of him.

Judging from the look on his face, he assumed that Raymond had probably expected him

to be angry with him for what he did. But the truth was, he wasn't.

Maybe he should've been a bit more cross with the redhead, but he just couldn't find it in

his being to reprimand him. They both suffered enough.

After all this time, after finally being reunited with him, he was just happy he was alive.

"Ray, look at me." He murmured, touching Raymond's cheek.

Raymond hesitantly brought his gaze back to the brunette, surprised that his lover didn't

appear to be upset in the slightest. "You may have given Tricell the virus, but none of this

is your fault. You didn't choose to replicate and sell it, they did. You didn't choose for

any of this to happen. All of this is because of them; they're responsible, not you."

Parker held his lover's hand closely as he spoke, caressing the tender skin.

"We're in this together, now; you don't have to take on the world alone."

Raymond bit his lip, trying his best to keep a straight face as the Italian relayed words

that were anything but unkind. He felt so undeserving of his compassion…

"I love you, Parker…" the words he spoke would never be enough, but it would have to

suffice for now. Parker smiled at the rare sentiment, leaning forward to peck his lover on

the lips. "I love you too, cadet." He winked.

Raymond wiped at his eyes and chuckled, despite the pain in his chest.

"You're never going to let that go, are you?"

"That name is as much a part of you as you are a part of me." Parker smiled and

continued to caress Raymond's hair affectionately.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

"Are you sure I can't get you anything?" Parker asked as he sat by Raymond on the bed.

"I'm fine, don't worry." Raymond chuckled, turning a page in his book.

It had been two days since the redhead had been released from the hospital; he was

practically spoiled and doted on by the Italian. It was nice to be able to lounge like this,

but he was also beginning to grow restless. Thomas was still out there somewhere; the

BSAA have been searching for him ever since that night. Despite the discoveries they

made, it meant nothing if they didn't possess the evidence itself.

Even more troubling, neither of them was sure what would happen to Raymond.

This arrangement, to remain in Parker's watchful custody, was uncertain.

It was only meant to be temporary, after all; but they weren't sure just how much so.

Raymond's freedom was pinned under the BSAA's thumb until further notice, they

didn't have the evidence against Thomas to prove his involvement with the Rourke case,

and they were unable to go out and find a way to push either cause in their favor.

To say that it was an unsettling predicament was an understatement.

Regardless of what the future held, so long as they were together, they were content.

Parker perked up at the sound of his cell phone ringing, standing up from the bed.

Walking into the living room, he picked it up, eyes widening at caller's name.

_Thomas Phillips._

He couldn't think of any reason why Thomas would call him of all people.

He had assumed that he was long gone after what occurred during their confrontation.

It somehow felt like a bad omen to talk to his old friend at a time like this, unsure of

whether or not he should answer; frowning indecisively at the device.

Curiosity got the better of him, opening the flip phone and answering the call.

"…Thomas?" he asked hesitantly, turning around to see Raymond leaning against the

door frame and watch him intently as he talked on the phone.

"Parker…" Thomas' voice murmured.

"I'm surprised you're calling me." The brunette answered honestly, placing his free hand

on his hip as he waited for a response. He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but he

could've sworn that Thomas sounded rather anxious, tired even.

"I _need_ to talk to you." The blonde requested in a hushed tone.

"What do you need to tell me?" Parker quirked an eyebrow suspiciously.

"Are you able to get away for awhile, so we can talk in private?"

"Thomas, I-" Parker replied uncertainly.

Why would Thomas want to meet with him?

"_Please_, Parker, this is important. Just, come meet me at the beach. I'll explain

everything then. I'll provide my statement, the evidence, whatever you need." Thomas

spoke frantically, pleading with the Italian.

"Thomas, what do you want from me?" Parker finally asked, growing annoyed.

"I can't run anymore; I can't _live with myself_. Please, I just want someone to talk to."

Thomas begged once more.

"Alright. Alright…fine, I'll meet with you. You said you were at the beach?" Parker

sighed and relented, cursing his bleeding heart for allowing himself to feed in to Thomas'

pleas for a listening ear. "I'm in Rourke, I'll be waiting at the docks by the fishery."

Thomas sighed in relief. "Okay, I'll be there soon."

"Thank you, Parker." Thomas replied before hanging up, soon replaced by the dial tone.

Parker sighed as he hung up his phone, slipping it into his pocket.

Even he didn't understand why he had agreed to this; it was suicide.

Thomas had tried to kill him and Raymond just days ago.

But…Thomas was still a friend of his, and he sounded like he needed help.

"What was that about?" Raymond spoke up, walking over to the brunette.

Parker grabbed his leather jacket and slipped it on, checking for his keys.

"That was Thomas…he wants to meet with me, so, I'm going to see him in Rourke."

Parker answered, albeit a bit uncertainly.

"You're planning on going there alone?" Raymond asked bluntly.

"I plan on talking to him, yes. He knows what's going on, we need him for information."

He answered as he walked towards the door. "I'm going with you." Raymond insisted.

"No, you're still in bad shape, stay here and rest." He turned to discourage his lover from

going along with him. _'I almost lost you, twice, I can't go through that again…'_

"This is my fight too, Parker, we're partners now-right?" the redhead countered, his

intense gaze softening as his lover closed his eyes painfully before sighing in defeat.

"Alright, you can come. But, you need to stay close to me; and if things start to get out of

hand, you need to leave and call for backup." He delegated, walking back into the

bedroom to help retrieve Raymond's shoes and coat.

"And most importantly, let me do the talking." He added.

"Why?" Raymond raised an eyebrow at the last order.

"Because you have a tendency to piss people off."

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

While Parker was focused on driving, Raymond watched the scenery pass by his window,

developing a plan in case they ran into trouble. He knew that going and seeing Thomas

was taking a huge risk, but he wasn't about to let his lover go alone.

He understood that Parker wanted to try and help Thomas, but he saw this as an

opportunity to reclaim the evidence that was stolen from them.

So long as they were careful and didn't fall for whatever tricks Thomas had in mind, it

just might go better than the last time they met.

"We're here." Parker announced solemnly, turning the car and stopping it in the parking

lot. It was ironic, meeting in the place where it all began.

"We'll go in and talk with him, but then we need to turn him over, okay?" Raymond

glanced over at the brunette, touching his arm sympathetically.

"Right." He nodded before opening his car door and stepping out.

His intuition was telling him that this was a mistake, even more so by bringing Raymond

along when he was still recovering from his gunshot wound.

But, he was also appreciative of the company he provided.

Delving his hands into his pockets, Parker stepped up onto the sidewalk and stayed by his

lover's side as they began to walk down the slope towards the beach.

Sand sucked at their feet as they walked along the shoreline, thankful that for once, it was

cloudy outside today, which meant less people and low temperatures.

Raymond inwardly grimaced when he caught sight of the burned ruins of the fishery,

remembering the shouts and gunfire from that night all too well.

'_It can __**never**__ happen again.'_ He silently vowed, averting his gaze from the wreckage.

As they come upon the docks, Parker squinted as he began to see Thomas' figure off in

the distance. "Be careful." He murmured to his lover.

"I'm more worried about _you_." Raymond smirked as Parker chuckled.

Their feet thudded against the aged wooden planks of the docks, quickening their pace as

they approached the blonde haired man that sat on the crates.

"Parker." Thomas smiled sadly, pushing himself off the crate and walked closer to the

couple, eyeing the redhead curiously. Raymond scoffed at Thomas in disdain, staring him

down. "What was so important that you asked me to come all this way?" Parker furrowed

his brows in confusion. "I wanted to apologize, and I couldn't do that without getting

caught if I came back into town." Thomas spoke as he adjusted the collar of his coat.

"I'm sorry, I really am; I didn't want to hurt anyone…" he kept his focus primarily on

Parker, relieved to see a familiar face. "I'm going to be honest with you now." He

nodded, glancing between Parker and Raymond nervously.

"Go on." Parker urged him to continue.

"Everything that you saw in my apartment, it's all true." Thomas sighed, licking his lips

before continuing. "I work with Tricell, but I'm not volunteering my services; and

I'm not doing it for the money, either." Raymond's eye twitched at the comment,

immediately disbelieving him, but allowed him to continue wasting his breath-it was his

choice, after all. "Someone very important to me went missing a few years ago; they

contacted me and said if I didn't go along with them…well, I don't know what they're

capable of, so I didn't try to fight them.

'_Yeah, that sounds like one of their dirty tricks alright…'_ Raymond thought

begrudgingly. "Since I was new to the business, they stocked me up with one of their

most recent finds-the T-Abyss virus, and told me to sell it for the most profit I could get

for it. There were a few who were interested, but those university students were my only

buyers. I honestly did not know what the bloody stuff did. I mean, I knew, but I didn't

know that it was like what the files said. Anyway, I met with their 'leader', Richard, he

paid me and I gave him a box of vials to try out. I never heard from them again after that.

I didn't know anything more until there was that fire there." He nodded his head in the

direction of the fishery. "Seeing those bodies, I felt horrible. I should've reported to HQ

about what I knew but…" he trailed off, lowering his gaze to the ground.

Remembering the picture he found at Thomas' apartment, Parker pulled out the

photograph from his jacket pocket and held it out to the blonde. "Who is she?" he asked

curiously. Thomas looked up and was surprised to see the photo, taking it from the

Italian's hand and smiling at it fondly. "My sister, Angela Rockwell."

Parker frowned at the name, wondering why the woman's last name was different from

Thomas'. "We both were born with our mother's name, Phillips. But when dad left,

Angela took his name, hoping it would bring him back. He never did, but it seemed to

make her feel closer to him, somehow." Thomas chuckled at Parker's reaction.

"But it was hidden away; why?"

"I agreed to work for Tricell, because they took her. I hoped that if I did what

they wanted they would give her back. I kept this hidden with the key to my desk to

remind myself of why I am the way I am now. It's ridiculous, I know." Thomas' eyes

misted over, his voice cracking.

"You were afraid to say anything because you didn't know if they would kill her, right?"

Raymond asked, catching both men's attention at the sudden question.

"Right, she's all I have left now; I..I just didn't know what to do anymore. Those bastards

scared the hell out of me. First she went missing, then it was the letter, and then they tried

to run my car off the road when I didn't respond straight away. I just wanted her back…"

Thomas covered his eyes with his hand, trying to recompose himself.

"She's my responsibility, ever since mum died."

Parker placed his hand on his shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly.

"It's alright, I understand." He murmured.

"I'm sure you do. I'm sure you know what it's like, don't you?" Thomas waved his hand

at Raymond, causing the other man to arch an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I know about you. A lot of people in Tricell know about you; you're the one that

went rogue, right? You really gave them something to talk about." Thomas snorted.

"I'm flattered." Raymond replied flatly as he rolled his eyes.

"You do tend to leave quite the impression, Ray." Parker joked, making Thomas snicker.

"Anyway, I called you out here to not only apologize, but to say goodbye." Thomas

smiled sadly. "I know that I did some awful things, and I should go to prison for what

I've done; but I can't yet. I still need to find Angela, but then I'll turn myself in." Thomas

spoke calmly as he pocketed the treasured photo, bringing out his lighter and a cigarette.

Parker and Raymond exchanged looks as they both wondered about the files and samples.

"Don't worry, I dropped off those blasted bottles at HQ, they're not going to be happy

about it-but at least they know how to get rid of them properly. I know that you want to

get back at Tricell, but you won't be able to do that without more evidence." Thomas

mumbled as he flicked his lighter open to light his cigarette, blowing out a puff of smoke.

"What about those files you took?" Raymond offered, cocking his head to the side with a

look of annoyance. "Ah, those, I took everything I had and put it away. Sadly, it wouldn't

be enough anyway, you'd need more. This is an important company, after all, they're not

going to take an investigation lying down. I guess you'll have to figure it out for

yourselves, sorry that I'm not more helpful." He flicked the ash off before sucking in

another breath, calmer now than moments ago.

"The hell is that supposed to mean? You got us to come down here and you won't even

give back those files? What's wrong with you, I thought you wanted to nail Tricell for the

mess they created." Raymond threw his hands in the air as he chewed the other man out.

"Believe me, it's for your own good." Thomas sighed, smoke pouring out of his nostrils.

"You're something else…" Raymond shook his head.

"And Parker? Promise me that you'll take good care of Sylvia, she'll need you more after

I'm gone." He smiled at the brunette. "Oh, I'm sure a few cinnamon rolls will make

everything better." Parker chuckled. "She'd better put a cap on that habit, poor thing

could swell up like-" Thomas yelped and his hand shot to his neck, pulling out what

appeared to be a small vial. Thomas grimaced and held onto his stomach, sinking to his

knees. "Thomas? Thomas are you okay?" Parker's heart sunk.

"Guh, I forgot to pay the bills…" he joked, forcing a smile.

Raymond instinctively brought out his magnum and grabbed Parker's arm, pulling him

back. "Thomas, say something!" Parker shouted, reaching his hand out to the blonde.

"Th…Thirstyyy…." Thomas grumbled in a distorted voice, his skin rapidly turning pale.

Before long, Thomas' legs had stretched out, giving him an inhuman stature; his skin

turned a sickly purple color before his flesh bubbled and formed layer upon layer, his

head craning to the side to make room for an appendage that split apart, revealing razor

sharp teeth. "Oh god, Raymond, run!" Parker shouted, snatching his wrist and pulling

him in the opposite direction, their movements slowed by the sand at their feet.

"S-shit!" Raymond grumbled as the sand sucked at the soles of his shoes, stumbling as he

struggled to keep up with the Italian. His heart was beating too hard, his gunshot wound

throbbing painfully as his pulse quickened, rapidly pumping blood in his exhausted body.

He wasn't ready to take on a monster like this…

Raymond yelped when his foot dug too deep in the sand and fell forward, grunting as he

landed hard on the poorly cushioned ground.

"Ray!" Parker gasped, wrapping his arms around the redhead's chest, wincing when

Raymond cried out as his arms strained the stitches on his chest.

Parker looked back at what remained of his friend, swallowing hard at the sight of

Thomas raising his right arm, a sharpened blade attached on the end.

It was just like that time when he and Jill had fought the communications officer back on

that cursed ship, wishing that this was just a dream he would wake up from.

Thankfully, they had found a strategy for defeating it that time, this time might not be so

different. Gently helping his lover stand upright, he touched his cheek.

"Ray, I'm going to distract it, I need you to get as far away from here as you can and call

for backup." Raymond gaped at the brunette in horror, fumbling his words.

"Parker-!" he stammered, grunting when Parker gave him a light push in the direction of

the slope that led to the parking lot, nearly fifteen yards away from where they stood.

"Go Ray!" Parker shouted as he ran back down the beach to grab the creature's attention.

"Thomas! Thomas, this way!" he yelled, tossing rocks at its teething appendage.

The monstrosity gurgled and glanced in Parker's direction, turning back around to face

Raymond before starting to lumber after the redhead.

"No, here! Here!" he shouted, gritting his teeth as the creature continued its pursuit.

'Raymond's still wounded, it must've caught onto the scent of his blood!'

Parker looked on as Raymond struggled to make his way up the slope, alternating

between crawling and running. His foot made contact with something metallic on the

ground, looking down to see Thomas' lighter.

Picking it up, Parker examines it before looking around the docks, seeing a group of oil

barrels along the furthest pathway that was closest to the water.

A plan formed in his head, it was the best shot he had at beating that thing.

Putting the lighter in his pocket, Parker dashed down the docks and began to knock over

the barrels, its contents spilling over the wooden planks in slow trickles.

Then, he grit his teeth before slamming his hand down on a mass of barnacles on one of

the posts, yelling as it cut into his palm.

He cursed as he squeezed his hand closed tightly, blood trailing down along his arm.

"Hey, ugly, over here! You don't want him, mine's fresh!" he roared as he waved his

hand in the air, hoping it would catch onto his scent and leave Raymond alone.

Sure enough, the mass of swaggering flesh paused and lingered, gurgling as it appeared

to be sniffing out that succulent smell. "Taaasstyyy…!" it bellowed as it turned around.

At first, he slowly backed away towards the end of the dock, making sure that it didn't

lose his scent before he managed to corner it.

Parker cried out when his foot slipped in a puddle of water, falling on his back.

Rubbing his head as he sat back up, his eyes widened as the creature was suddenly

looming over him. "Shit!" he yelled and rolled out of the way just as it brought down its

mangled fleshy hatchet, splitting the wood he was laying on moments ago.

His shoes squeaked as he bounded down the dock, smearing his blood on various posts as

he ran. "Thirsty!" the creature shouted in frustration, trailing after the Italian.

Parker slowed to a stop as he reached the end, trying to catch his breath.

"All miiine…" the broken voice laughed gleefully, drawing closer.

This was the part he had missed in his plan; he didn't know how to make it stay in place.

"Well, I had a good run…" he sighed sadly, flicking the lighter open and trying to get the

fuse to light as his thumb spun the tiny rubber wheel.

"Damn it, come on!" he snarled as he kept trying to get a spark, his pulse racing.

When he thought all hope was lost, when he stared death in the face and smelled its foul

stench, he was surprised to hear gunshots. "Parker, get out of there!" Raymond shouted,

standing at the base of the docks, firing his magnum at the beast repeatedly.

The sickly purple mass groaned and arched its back as each bullet penetrated its folds,

stunned in place. "I owe you one, cadet!" Parker grinned, finally getting the lighter lit and

tossed it on the ground before diving into the water.

The embers from the lighter soon swept over the dock and set it ablaze, slowly eating

away at the hell spawn before creeping up to the spare barrels.

"Thomas" snarled and roared painfully as the fire ebbed at him, his flesh beginning to

blacken and burn away. Raymond cursed before using what strength he had left and

dived into the water after Parker, narrowly avoiding being swallowed by the explosion.

Raymond sputtered as he came back up for air, his eyes searching for his lover.

"Parker?" he called out, wincing as he waded in the chilled water.

"Over here, Ray!" Parker shouted, waving his injured arm while his good arm grasped

the base of a post. Raymond smiled in relief and began to swim over to the brunette,

ignoring the pain as seawater seeped into his bandages.

"There you are." Parker chuckled and grabbed the redhead's shirt before tugging him

closer so he could grab hold of the wooden base. Raymond sighed, looking back to watch

the fire crackle on the dock. "You okay?" Parker mumbled, eyeing his chest.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." He nodded. "Your hand…" he breathed as he noticed the blood

seeping between his fingers as it grasped the wood. "Just a scratch, really." He grinned

sheepishly. "I'm…sorry about Thomas."

Parker looked on at the inferno, draping his arm along Raymond's back protectively.

"He's in a better place." He replied sadly.

Raymond noticed something floating in the air, grabbing it clumsily between his fingers.

It was the photograph of Thomas and Angela, the corners blackened from the fire.

Looking at it now, it made him wonder if joy had truly become obsolete.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Aww poor Thomas.

I feel bad for writing him off like that, but…it was planned from the beginning.

Interestingly, I had three different endings for Thomas but wasn't sure what to choose; so

I got some help from my dear friends on DA.

These were the endings:

**-"Fair Warning":** For this one, Thomas would've been assassinated. And Raymond would've received a phone call from the mysterious man from his past

(who I haven't really identified yet); which serves as a warning.

**-"Freedom":** In this one, Thomas would've shot himself; "Freeing" himself of his guilt.

**-"Blast From The Past" **_(This ending!):_ Thomas was turned into a Skagdead.

So, many thanks to my friends and readers on DA who helped me reach this decision!

This chapter was longer and probably the most intense in the story, I'm glad that I'm getting better at writing action and horror scenes-it's not easy!

I know that I've demonized Jessica and Morgan throughout the story, but then I started to think differently about them-and decided to change my perspective.

No one is completely evil for the entirety of their lives; at one time or another, they were good people.

I'd like to think that Jessica and Morgan weren't completely heartless, maybe they were kind and caring people at some point in their lives.

As for Raymond, he did things-terrible things-to right wrongs; even if those acts were wrong in of themselves.

So, I decided to include a sort of "forgiveness" bit in this chapter, for Morgan, Jessica _and_ Raymond.

I wanted them to come to terms with what they had done to each other and make peace.

I was a little nervous to write a purgatory scene, since the theories, beliefs and ideas of heaven and the afterlife are a sketchy and sensitive topic.

But, I went ahead and wrote it and I like the way it turned out-even if it may still be a bit vague and rough around the edges.

And yes, Luis Sera finally gets his ballistics...

I'd like to apologize for writing this so late, I didn't post a chapter for March because I

was caught up with playing the newest Tomb Raider game and then I had some art projects I had to finish up.

I promise, though, that I'll post the next chapter sometime this month.

It'll be nice to wrap this up before Revelations is re-released.

Lin


	13. Loose Ends

Parker grimaced uncomfortably as the wool blanket pressed his sopping wet

clothes to his skin, wishing he could go home and shower as quickly as possible.

His bandaged hand still throbbed painfully from the abuse it had endured; the gash on his

palm had not only been wading through salty seawater, but it had also been dowsed with

antiseptic to prevent infection. Looking over to Raymond beside him, he smiled.

"How are you doing?" he asked as he brushed his lover's fringe away from his eye.

"I'm fine." The redhead smiled, glancing down at the Italian's hand and gently grasped it.

"How's your hand, does it still hurt?" he looked at Parker with concern.

"I've had worse, it's nothing to worry about." He chuckled.

Raymond scooted closer to Parker and laid his head against his shoulder, breathing a

sigh through his nose and closed his eyes tiredly.

"Those painkillers are hitting you hard, aren't they?" Parker ran his fingers in the red hair

soothingly, placing a kiss on Raymond's forehead.

He felt guilty allowing the other man to accompany him to the meeting with Thomas; he

had known there was a risk, and he ignored his intuition.

"I'm sorry I got you dragged into this, Raymond." He murmured regretfully, feeling a

reassuring squeeze on his hand. "It's not your fault." Raymond scoffed at the

unnecessary apology. "I didn't want you to go alone; I'm glad I came with you, otherwise

it could've ended very differently." Parker smiled sadly at the prospect, taking some

comfort in knowing that he and Raymond had survived the ordeal together.

Parker looked out at the docks, watching as his fellow agents worked.

Amidst the chaos just moments ago, Raymond had called in reinforcements to come help.

They had stayed hidden under the docks until the BSAA had arrived to assess the damage

and clean up the mess from the confrontation with Thomas.

Trying to count all the agents now had given him a headache, giving up on the attempt.

There was a group at the parking lot to prevent citizens and reporters from seeing the

aftermath. Various units were scattered along the shoreline, checking to see if the viral

infection had spread. He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat as he caught the

sight of a group of men using flamethrowers to burn the mutated corpse.

The flames were akin to a bonfire, embers dancing in the air wildly as the mass crackled.

The only resemblance the abomination possessed was Thomas' head, a hollow expression

ingrained on his face. He still didn't understand how such a kind young man could be

involved in all of this, it wasn't right. Raymond took notice of his lover's dazed

expression and glanced over at the ongoing activity, placing his hand on Parker's

shoulder comfortingly. "Are you two alright?" the pair turned their attention to Director

Moore as he approached them, his hands delving into his pockets.

"We're fine." Parker replied after clearing his throat, pulling the blanket tighter around

his shoulders to insulate his body temperature.

"Are you up to telling me what happened?" the redhead's gaze flicked between the two.

"Thomas called me up and asked to meet him here." Parker began, observing his boss'

movements. "And?" he encouraged his friend to continue.

"He apologized, for everything. He told us that Tricell took his sister and threatened to

kill her if he didn't work with them; that's why he sold the virus to those kids…" he

murmured, closing his eyes painfully before continuing.

"Someone shot him with some kind of dart; he changed into that…thing." He nodded his

head in the direction of the smoldering fire. "I fought something like that before, but I

never thought that he would change so quickly. I guess what I read in those files was true,

they're still doing research." He furrowed his eyebrows while deep in thought.

"They must have sped up the infection rate; he mutated within minutes." Raymond

added. "If that's the case, we could have some real trouble on our hands." Moore sighed

while rubbing the back of his head. "Did he mention anything else…?"

"He said that if we wanted to take them down we would need evidence; I don't even

know how the hell we're going to get anything even remotely concrete." Parker sighed

heavily, idly brushing his bangs away from his face.

"He said he quit and was going to look for her, but…" the Director held his hand out to

pause the Italian from saying anything more. "It's alright, that'll do for now."

"Brandon, I'm sorry, I should've brought him in. Maybe he would've been safer-"

"It's not your fault, Parker. I'm sure those bastards would've come looking for him

anyway, there's only so much anyone can do." Moore's lips turned up into a sympathetic

smile, patting his subordinate on the shoulder. "I'm going to deal with the press; you two

should go home and rest." He stated as he waved his finger between the two of them

before making the trek up the sandy slope.

Parker groaned as he held his head in his hands, closing his eyes to shut out the sight

before him. Thomas was gone. He was never going to hear his jokes again. He was never

going to share stories with him over a beer, or eat brunch with him and Sylvia at the café.

A caring man, a good friend, had been turned into a horrible monster and he killed him.

He didn't know how he was going to be able to carry on after this…

Raymond wrapped his arms around Parker in an embrace, squeezing the

Italian tighter when he leaned in closer to his chest.

It pained him to see his strong and resolute lover like this, wishing he knew how to

relieve him of his despair. For the moment, holding him seemed to help.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Parker…" he murmured as he rubbed the Italian's

shoulder. "I think I remember you saying something like that before." He snorted, a grin

formed on his lips. "I probably did, knowing you and how prone you are to beating

yourself up when things go wrong." The redhead rolled his eyes.

"Self-criticism is good, it keeps a man's pride in check and helps him strive for better

results." He smiled as he patted his lover's arm reassuringly.

"A man can only be knocked down so many times before he decides to stop trying; I

intend to make sure you don't fall apart." Raymond replied solemnly.

Parker pulled away from the embrace, touching Raymond's cheek and smiled fondly.

"And I'll be sure to return the favor." He winked, pecking him on the cheek.

Standing up with a groan, he braved the chill in the air as he dropped the blanket on the

driftwood they sat on. "Ready to go home?" he sighed as he looked back at the redhead.

"Yeah, I could use a shower." Raymond grunted as he slowly stood up from his

seat, setting down his blanket and tugging the front of his shirt away from his chest with a

grimace. "A nap sounds good too…" Parker stretched his arms above his head with a

groan, popping his muscles. "And maybe we can build a sandcastle when we get home,

I'm sure we've got enough sand in our shoes to make a small one." He chuckled as they

began to walk towards the slope leading towards the parking lot.

"Parker!" he heard Sylvia call out, turning his attention to the brunette as she jogged

towards them. Parker let out a sound of surprise as she threw her arms around him in a

hug, giving one final squeeze before pulling away to look him over.

"Are you alright?" she asked with concern. "I'm fine." Parker forced a smile to try to

reassure the younger woman. "Where's Thomas?" she asked, looking between the Italian

and the redhead, noticing that the blonde was absent.

Parker looked at Sylvia hesitantly, reluctant to reveal their friend's fate.

Seeing the mixture of hesitation and pain on his face made her heart drop.

"What happened?" she grabbed his arms, trying to make eye contact with his averting

gaze. "Parker, what happened? _Tell me_." She insisted.

Parker's gaze drifted to the charred remains of Thomas' corpse, trying to find the words

to describe what happened in a delicate manner. But in truth, there was no real way to

sugarcoat such unpleasant news; it was going to be a grim blow no matter how it was

told. "Sylvia…he…" he struggled to form a sentence, seeing the panic in her eyes.

She followed his gaze and sees some men burning something; something large and gray.

At first, the two had seemed unrelated, but the look on Parker's face said so much.

'_Thomas…that thing…?'_

And then, it clicked.

"No…_no_…" Sylvia breathed, breaking into a run to get a closer look.

"Sylvia, wait!" Parker called out, beginning to run after her.

He couldn't let her see Thomas like this; it would destroy her.

He grit his teeth and forced his sore muscles to push him further.

Pushing one of the agents aside, she stood in front of the burning mass and tried to find

any identifying features amongst the charred remains. The sight caught her off guard,

almost making her choke. The wavy blonde hair, those blue eyes…

But there was no smile; his signature smirk was absent.

She didn't want to believe it; it couldn't be true.

Parker wrapped his arms around the brunette and pulled her away from the fire; both to

get her away from the grotesque sight and allow his fellow agents to finish the job.

He grunted as she writhed and pushed against him, stumbling as he continued to drag her.

Raymond grasps his chest as he jogs over to the pair, reaching out to attempt to grab

Sylvia's legs to help restrain her. In turn, the brunette kicked out and struck his palm,

swinging her fist to try to make contact with the redhead's face.

Raymond raised his hands up and backed off to give her space.

"Bastard! This is all your fault!" she screeched.

"Sylvia, calm down-" Parker gritted his teeth as his grip began to fail as the woman

continued to thrash about in his arms. He yelped when Sylvia elbowed him sharply in the

gut, breaking free from his grasp before slapping him across the face.

"Why are you protecting him?! None of this would've happened if it wasn't for him!"

tears brimmed in her eyes as she continued to yell at the two of them.

Parker rubbed the sore spot on his abdomen and cheek gingerly. "Sylvia, _we_ had no

choice." he implied that the both of them were involved in the blonde's death, not all of

the blame was to be placed on Raymond alone. "It wasn't Thomas anymore. If we hadn't

stopped him, more people could've been killed." He tried to control the tone in his voice,

feeling the painful lump in his throat return._ 'It wasn't easy to put him down like that.'_

"There was still time, there's a vaccine, he could've been turned back!" she cried.

"The vaccine can only prevent the virus from spreading and stop the mutation. The virus

he was infected with was a modified strain; the vaccine wouldn't have helped him."

Raymond added, keeping a defensive stance should the brunette try to take a swing at

him again. "You're lying!" she snarled as she sprinted towards him.

Raymond dodged when Sylvia threw a punch, getting behind the brunette and wrapping

his arms around her, pinning her arms to her sides.

"This won't bring him back." He grunted, holding her tightly.

He finally loosened his grip and released Sylvia when her body slackened.

The brunette dropped to her knees in the sand, failing to muffle her sobs behind her hand.

Parker knelt down beside the sobbing woman, attempting to embrace her.

He was startled when one of his arms was stubbornly knocked away, sighing before

standing to his feet. "Come on, Ray…" he murmured as he lead the way to the parking

lot. He understood that Sylvia was grieving, and this was probably her way of going

through the emotions, but he wished that she didn't shut him out.

He despised himself enough as is, he didn't need anyone else to give him a hard time.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Raymond sipped at his cup of coffee, his legs crossed and set on top of the coffee table

leisurely. He normally didn't put his feet up on furniture, but he decided to cast off his

reservations, at least for now. They had returned home a few hours ago, relieved to

finally have a hot shower, some clean clothes and cuddle in bed for a nap.

He shivered and bit back a grin when Parker brushed his fingertips along the nape of his

neck as he passed by, heading into the kitchen to grab a cup for himself.

Despite the time that had passed since they last ate, neither of them had much of an

appetite after what they endured earlier.

Parker sighed as he sat down on the couch beside the redhead, idly drinking from his cup.

"Feeling better?" Raymond asked as he looked over at the Italian.

"Sleep helps." Parker nodded before taking another sip. "But it's still fresh…" he

murmured, lowering his gaze to his mug grimly. "The fight with Thomas or Sylvia?"

Raymond studied his lover's expression. "Well, both." The brunette answered with a

shrug. "You're not going to get over either of them overnight." He quirked an eyebrow.

"I know, it'll take some time. But I just wish that I had some resolve to help me get

started with moving on. It's such a mess right now…" the Italian shook his head.

They didn't have any evidence to get back at Tricell, the students and Thomas were gone,

and everyone outside of the BSAA wants to know what happened in Rourke.

As if that wasn't bad enough, Sylvia had taken to playing the blame game and took

her fury out on them. There was no closure for either issue.

"Is there anything we can do?" Raymond offered, swirling the last bit of his coffee

around at the bottom of his cup. "Well, I don't think Sylvia and Thomas followed up with

that visit to the university." Parker furrowed his brows as he remembered the details of

the investigation. "Why would that matter?" Raymond mumbled as he set the mug down.

"Richard and Brad, the only two students we managed to identify, mentioned that there

were some suspicious experiments going on at their university. Brad's journal even

mentioned that he took photos, but they were confiscated and the both of them were

expelled. That was the whole driving point behind their plan, they wanted to get back at

them." Parker took another sip, licking the remnants off his lips.

"You say that those experiments were suspicious, were they illegal?" Raymond sat up

and folded his hands. "That's what they wrote…"

"Come on, let's go see what they're up to." Raymond suddenly got up and walked over to

the door to slip on and tie his shoes. "Wait, what are you saying?" Parker raised an

eyebrow at his lover's sudden burst of enthusiasm. "If they had evidence of suspicious

activity and the officials panicked and took the evidence back, they have something to

hide. And you did say that there was a large amount of T-Abyss samples, and Thomas

still had some to spare-they could be the suppliers." Raymond groaned as he stood

upright, grabbing his coat. "And you're just going to walk in there and…?" Parker sat up

to walk over to where his lover stood, leaning against the wall.

"_We're_ going in there together." He corrected him.

"We need to search their lab; that's the only place I can think of to look. It could have

research papers and more samples. This could be what we need to connect Tricell to

everything." Raymond continued, slipping on his trench coat and eyeing the Italian

expectantly. "After these last few days of getting shot at, nearly blown to bits and almost

eaten, you still want to investigate with me?" Parker eyed him incredulously.

"It's part of the job, isn't it?" Raymond smirked. "Besides, we work well together."

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

"Excuse me, miss, we're with the BSAA and we're conducting an-"

"An inspection." Raymond interrupted the Italian. "We're conducting inspections at

various hospitals and medical schools to make sure that they're using proper safety

measures." Parker and the lady behind the desk eyed Raymond oddly.

"Safety measure inspections?" she raised an eyebrow at the request.

"Yes, it's part of our job to make sure any research involving bacteria doesn't get out of

control." The redhead continued, his tone lowering as he slowly began to lose patience.

"I'm sure the professor knows what he's doing. Have a nice-"

"Lady, I've seen things that would drive you up the wall. Unless you want to be sitting

behind that computer with a skin condition that makes you look like a lizard, I suggest

you let us in before you start eating flies." Raymond frowned menacingly.

The woman's mouth dropped open in shock, handing Raymond a card key without a

second thought and watched them as they made their way to an elevator.

"Nice people skills, Ray." Parker chuckled at his scowling lover as he slid the card into

a slot and pressed a button, giving them access to the basement.

"I was getting tired of waiting for her to make up her mind." Raymond rolled his eyes.

"And…we're safety inspectors now?" he raised an eyebrow and smiled in bemusement.

"If we told her we were investigating she might've warned the researchers; we can't

afford to risk losing any more evidence than we already have." He replied, glancing at the

doors once the elevator reached the basement floor, opening with a pleasant ding.

Raymond was the first to get off the lift, walking down the concrete lined corridor with

Parker falling into step. Once they reached the other end of the hallway, Raymond eyed

the Italian before sliding the card through a card reader, pushing the door open.

Parker kept his hand on his holstered handgun in case there were any armed guards,

entering the room first and scanning the area. "What happened in here?" his eyes

widened. The entire laboratory was in disarray; chairs were knocked over and papers and

broken glass were strewn over the floor. "Is it normal for scientists to make a mess of

their own lab?" Parker wondered aloud as he walked further into the room before

beginning to open the various doors on the left side wall, noticing that there were no

cadavers on the trays. "I think someone got here before us, I hope they didn't destroy

everything." Raymond answered back, examining a few papers from the floor.

Parker sees a hand lying on the floor, rushing over to the other side of a table.

"Ray, I found someone." He called out as he took the man's pulse.

The man in question wore black slacks, a blue dress shirt and a white lab coat; his ID tag

reading _'Dr. Robert Fey'_. "He's dead." Parker sighed, examining his chest and rolling

him over to find no blood, stab or gunshot wounds.

'Did he have a heart attack? He doesn't look that old…'

Raymond walked over to Parker and rested his hands on his knees as he examined the

area around the body. "What position did you find him in?" he quirked an eyebrow at the

man's peculiar stiffness. He still had some color to his skin, he couldn't have been dead

for long. "On his back, clutching his stomach. Why?" Parker looked up at the redhead

curiously as he set the hand down. Raymond turned his head to the side and saw what

looked to be the shattered remains of a coffee mug under the table, its contents splattered

on the floor and inside the desk. "He may have been poisoned; and not that long ago…"

Raymond stood upright and walked to the back end of the room, walking over to a

computer. At first glance, he noticed that the screen was abuzz with activity.

Standing over the table, his eyes widened as he saw a stream of computer files being

deleted. "Shit…" he hissed as he began to click on the mouse and type frantically,

trying to abort the process. "What's wrong?" Parker faintly heard the redhead curse under

his breath as he stood over a computer, standing up and walking over.

"Someone is deleting all these files; I can't stop it." Raymond slammed his hand on the

keyboard in frustration, his eyes watching hopelessly as the various file names breezed

across the screen.

'_ , , , class 2-4 , body , …' _

"Damn it, it was here all along." he grumbled bitterly. "We were so close…"

Someone had been here recently; they poisoned the head researcher, destroyed the lab

and executed an automatic computer sweep. And judging from the key cards that are

needed to access this floor, it was an inside job.

All this fighting and searching, only to come to this; it made his blood boil.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Well, shit, they're left empty-handed.

I know that this must seem like an awful turn of events, but you've got to remember that

this is an organization dealing in suspicious activity; I'm sure that they would go to

_extreme_ lengths to make sure that they're not found out-more so than what Umbrella tried

to do for themselves. Though, I realize now that I made a mistake; Tricell is like the new

Umbrella but they don't finance the BSAA-the GPC does. Sorry about the mix-up!

You're also probably wondering how or why Tricell would be the new Umbrella; you

should play **RE5** (or just watch the cutscenes) and watch **Jessica's Report**

(look it up on Youtube) and **Degeneration**, it'll make a little more sense.

Tricell is the latest competitor in the pharmaceutical market; and Degeneration will

definitely tell you that their intentions probably aren't the best.

I apologize if this chapter seems out of place or rushed compared to previous ones; I

actually wasn't supposed to write it but I realized that there were some things left

unexplained and it seemed wrong to just jump to the last chapter (which will also go up

today!) and end it abruptly. I wanted to tie up some 'loose ends'; and I also thought that it

would be great to show Parker and Sylvia's grief over the loss of Thomas.

Speaking of which, I did mention that Director Moore looked like a red haired (Irish)

Ewan McGregor before but I forgot to mention who Thomas and Sylvia look like.

The only Australian actor that I knew of that seemed to fit Thomas' description the best

was Jesse Spencer who played as Chase in House M.D.

As for Sylvia, I'm torn; she could be either Michelle Branch or Norah Jones, maybe…

I don't know any Scottish actresses, but maybe I'll find a fitting one someday.

Anyway, I hope that this second-to-last chapter was enjoyable despite its short length.

Lin


	14. Calm After The Storm

The deep blue sky was lined with clouds; the airy wisps splashed across the skyscape as far as the eye could see.

The sun was warm and bright, just peeking out from behind the white veil.

Raymond smiled softly as his eyes watched the leaves blow in the crisp, cool breeze; tickling his skin and causing a shiver to run up his spine.

Ever since he had that dream, he felt more at ease.

He wasn't sure if he had spoken to his late co-workers, but he would like to believe that

they had forgiven him and helped him find forgiveness and serenity within himself.

After so many years of living in fear and instilled with hatred and distrust, the blood on

his hands, the sacrifices he made, he was finally free.

For the longest time, he had grown cold and stoic, building up walls to prevent himself

from developing any attachments. He joined the FBC to fight for other people's freedom

and safety, sacrificing his own in many instances.

Soon after, his own freedom, sense of security and future had been ripped from him and

he had been forced to work in order to protect the one person who mattered to him.

He regretted what he had done, he never took any pride in it.

But no matter how he dealt with it, be it self-loathing or inner peace, the history could

never be erased. He turned his attention to the Italian beside him when the burly man

shifted in his sleep, his arms tightening around his leaner form.

'_It all happened for a reason…' _

All this time they spent together, all these memories that he cherished, never would've

existed. He finally got his wish, and that sole reason would be the one why he wouldn't

hesitate to do it again if it meant protecting someone he loved.

Just once, he wanted to be selfish.

For the first time in his life, he had found someone that gave his life meaning; who loved

him for his gifts _and_ flaws; someone who trusted and accepted him.

Parker had made him a better man, and he felt truly happy for the first time in years.

Protecting someone he loved, among ridding the world of people who never realized the

full extent of their horrific intentions, if those weren't good enough reasons to end a life

then he didn't know what was.

He was blessed and thankful to be able to share his life with Parker.

And he wouldn't trade him for anything in the world.

Raymond leaned over and kissed his lover on the cheek, smiling as the brunette stirred.

Parker's eyes fluttered open, his gaze fixed on the sky before lifting his head up from the

bench to see Raymond, smiling groggily as he stretched with a groan.

"Sorry, I fell asleep again." He chuckled as he wrapped his right arm around the

redhead's shoulders, hugging him closely to his side.

"I don't mind." Raymond chuckled as he smoothed his fringe back away from his eye,

resting his head against the Italian's shoulder. _'You're cute when you're asleep…'_

Ever since they came back to this very spot a few hours ago, he had been drifting in and

out of unconsciousness; whether he was dreaming or awake, Raymond was always with

him. This particular spot in the park had become their sanctuary; they came here almost

everyday whenever it suited them. It was so peaceful and refreshing…

The both of them were no longer able to work on the investigation since Director Moore

had closed the case, knowing that there weren't any leads to go on for the time being.

It was frustrating and disheartening to fail to close a case that was so close to home.

Sylvia had decided to take some time away from work while she tried to come to terms

with Thomas' death; she hasn't spoken to him since that argument in Rourke.

He figured it was probably for the best to take time away from work and each other since

it was an especially draining ordeal. It wouldn't do anyone any good to stay together if

they were at each other's throats. While the case was prematurely ended, there was some

amount of closure for the resulting tragedy.

The students' bodies were all cremated and their ashes were turned over to their families;

save for Richard's, who had no surviving relatives, his remains were sprinkled into the

ocean. Thomas' cremated remains were entrusted in Sylvia's care until any family

members stepped forward to claim them. The families were told by the authorities, thanks

to a gag order from the BSAA, that they all had died in a devastating accidental fire.

As for the gossip-hungry reporters and local townspeople, they all had been told that the

past few incidental fires, explosions and such were a result of some toxic chemicals that

were left in the fishery's storage; all were reassured that the mess was cleaned up and the

beach would now become public property once the ruins were demolished.

As for Raymond, Director Moore, surprisingly, was impressed with his courage and

dedication during the case and decided to "pardon" his crimes; as well as offering him a

permanent position in the BSAA under the condition that he undergo therapy and

continue to help them investigate Tricell; not wanting such horrible tragedies to repeat.

Not surprisingly, Raymond happily accepted the offer and was due to start work on a

regular basis as soon as his gunshot wound healed.

He had many theories as to why Raymond accepted the invitation; namely, he had

wanted to redeem himself after the slayings in the States, Paris and D.C.

For the most part, everything had been blanketed.

He understood that bioterrorism was still a new concept and most people would fly into a

panic if they knew of a small-scale threat being in their own backyard.

It was a small, unsteady step, but it was a start; and it was better than doing nothing at all.

Even after three years of service within the BSAA, he still felt nervous and uncertain; but

he felt more at ease with Raymond at his side.

Raymond grasped the Italian's left hand into his own, his thumb tracing the bandages.

'_Crazy bastard…'_ he mused.

Parker smiled and kissed his lover's head, sighing as the wildflower's sweet nectar filled

his nostrils with their relaxing aroma, the leaves gently falling down into the lake and

causing the water to ripple. "I love you." He murmured as he rubbed his palm along the

redhead's forearm. "I love you, too…" Raymond's face cracked from the smile that

formed on his lips, still trying to get used to saying those three, harmonious words.

"Parker?" he asked, lifting his head to look into the Italian's blue eyes.

"Hm?" the brunette looked back at him curiously.

"Could you sing for me?" he felt his face grow hot, hoping he wasn't visibly blushing.

Parker chuckled and ran his hand through Raymond's red hair. "Of course."

Raymond smiled as he laid his head back down on the Italian's shoulder, intertwining

their fingers together. Parker cleared his throat as he tried to remember the words,

inwardly cursing for never taking the time to actually write them down.

Finally, smiling sheepishly as he began to sing aloud in the park, he softly sang their song

to his lover. Raymond closed his eyes as he listened to his lover's warm voice.

_"Ascolta la mia dolce... {Listen my sweet...}_

_Il mio cuore soffre per battere al volstro fianco, palpitante come lei svanire._  
_{My heart aches to beat alongside you, quivering as you fade.}_

_Per favore, resta con me ancora un po'. {Please, stay with me a little longer.}_

_Attendo il tuo ritorno come contare i giorni fino rompo._  
_{I await your return as I count the days until I break.}_

_Si rifiuta di farmi cadere e vi ringrazio per la vostra determiazione._  
_{You refuse to let me fall and I thank you for your resolve.}_

_Amore mio, ti sento piangere sotto la shell si chiama forza, io sono qui..._  
_{My love, I hear you crying beneath the shell you call strength, I'm here...}_

_Tutto andra bene, te lo prometto. {Everything will be alright, I promise you.}"_

Parker hummed when he ran out of lyrics to sing, grinning when Raymond picked up his

head to peck him on the lips; placing his hand on the back of his head to lengthen the kiss.

This was how it was meant to be, how it should've always been; it just took three years to get there, together.

(end)

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.

Wow, after ten months of writing this series, it's finally finished!

I'm happy, yet sad that the series has come to an end. But it just didn't seem right

to keep adding more and more content to the story; it would just drag on until it didn't

make sense anymore, and that wouldn't have been good. So, I had to end it here, sadly.

I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I'm proud of myself for working so long and hard

on this and refused to give up.

I have the strong belief that I owe it to the readers, the story and myself to see it finished.

Don't worry, I plan on writing quite a few sequels after this one with Parker and

Raymond; I already have a couple of ideas in mind but I need some time to plan them out

before getting started. Also, this is my twenty-ninth story on here, I kind of want to write

something special for the thirtieth to celebrate.

When I have something planned, I'll post it on my page to announce it.

One last thing, I think this coming summer is going to be my off-season, since everyone

is going to be home during that time-it'll be difficult for me to concentrate.

I'll still write the occasional story, but I don't think I'll get started on another series until the fall.

"Someone Special" by Poets of the Fall has played a big role in helping me describe the

turbulent, romantic feelings between Parker and Raymond. I've been a fan of PotF since I

played Alan Wake two years ago, but I had never heard of this song until the story was

about half finished; and the lyrics just fit perfectly with the emotion and even some of the

events sound similar. It scared me a little bit when I heard it and thought it was so

unreal. I recommend that everyone should give it a listen, it's a really touching piece.

The season is finally turning warmer, I hope you're all getting outside and enjoying it.

Many thanks to everyone who supported me and read it all to the end~

(I know that there aren't very many reviews here yet, but seeing the reader count go up

everyday just makes me smile knowing that someone out there liked my story enough to

continue reading it, so thank you!)

Lin


End file.
